The little apple

Just like a method actor lives and breathes a role, I like to go that little bit further for an article. To the right, I am on the way to an upset tummy in the apple orchards of Villaviciosa. Researching a piece on Asturian sidra (cider), I spent a day tasting the full spectrum of near-ripe apples – from eyewateringly bitter to melt-in-the-mouth sweet – and a night in Oviedo knocking it back with the locals. Like the Valencians have their paddy fields and paella as symbols of regional pride, the Asturians have the lush orchards of the Cormarca de la Sidra (literally, Cidershire) and an abundance of sidra to be proud of. The article was a discovery of Las Rutas de las Manzanas y La Sidra (The Cider and Apple Routes) for the easyJet magazine, and an introduction to the wonderfully interactive (read: free drinks and pub games) Museo de la Sidra in Nava. (museodelasidra.com)