"What was Woody Allen like?" someone wanted to know. Garcia smiled broadly as if he had enjoyed shepherding the iconic American director around his home town.
"What about Scarlett Johansson?"
Our guide remained tight-lipped, though his expression, if I read it correctly, seemed to say "diva."
In the film, two young American women -- Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Johansson) -- spend the summer in Barcelona where they meet a sweet-talking artist Juan Antonio (Bardem) in a restaurant and accept his invitation to spend a weekend in Oviedo.
Penelope Cruz, who plays Bardem's ex-wife, recently received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. The film recently received four Golden Globe award nominations and won in the Best Picture, Musical or Comedy category.
While in the northern Spanish city, the trio take a tour of one of three small pre-Romanesque structures that my Rough Guide book describes as "among the most remarkable in Spain" and the main reason for visiting Oviedo.
All of them date from the first half of the 9th century when the Asturian kingdom was the only part of Spain under Christian rule.
We drive up a wooded hill on the outskirts of the city to see two of these UNESCO sites: San Miguel de Lillo, a golden sandstone structure that served as King Ramiro's palace chapel, and the Palacio de Santa Maria del Naranco, which served as the king's palace and hunting lodge.
We couldn't go inside either of the 1,200-year-old buildings because they were locked, though you can get in with prior arrangement, or just sneak a peek at the bare interiors through the windows.
The hillside locale offers views of the 3,000 metre-high European Peaks and the city of Oviedo including its modern new convention centre by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.
While driving into the city we learn of a last-minute change to our accommodation. Instead of the Barcelo Cervantes hotel, we'll be staying at the Hotel de la Reconquista. What luck! That's where Vicky and Cristina (and the actors who play them) stayed. There's a brief scene where Juan Antonio (Bardem) walks into the red carpeted lobby with its wooden portico.
The 18th-century building, a former hospital and poorhouse, is a national monument, whose guests over the years have included Elton John, the Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elizabeth Taylor and Nelson Mandela -- and now a few unknown Canadians.
Most Spaniards know the hotel because its Salon Consejos (meeting room) is where the juries meet to deliberate on the winners of the prestigious Prince of Asturias International Awards, which are announced on the last Friday of October.
It was a surprise to learn that Oviedo -- home of Fernando Alonso, a two-time Formula One world champion -- is one of the most expensive cities in all of Spain. It's also known as the "best-dressed" city in the country, in part because, Garcia says, it has more shops per capita than anywhere else in Spain aside from Madrid.
And so, the citizens in their chic apparel seem perfectly suited to a city that has been awarded the prize for Spain's cleanest city for several consecutive years. It's the only place I recall seeing merchants and municipal workers hose down the sidewalks both morning and night!
After wandering through the pedestrian-friendly historic quarter under a full moon on our first night, Garcia leads us into a bar and restaurant called Tierra Astur, one of many cider houses for which the city is famous.
Watching the waiters in action at the various tables is quite a spectacle.
Holding a bottle of cider up in the air, they pour the beverage into a glass about a metre away, which allows air to be incorporated into the cider on its way down. It also results in plenty of spillage on the floor!
Not to worry, it's part of the ritual performance. When you're handed the glass, drink the contents down in one gulp, like the locals.
The smooth-talking Juan Antonio may have succeeded in charming his female visitors, but if he had one fault as a guide, it would have to be his failure to introduce them to the cider house culture of Oviedo. It's an experience not to be missed.
For more information, check infoasturias.com or tourspain.toronto.on.ca. Air France, which flies from Toronto, now has two flights a day to Oviedo, Spain from Paris. For details, check airfrance.ca or call 1-800-667-2747.
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