León

I went to Leon again last weekend with the host family. The first night we got there I went out with Cristina, Manuel and their 2 friends. In Leon when you go out to the tapa bars you get pretty small drinks and very big tapas. It's the other way around in Oviedo, you get normal size drinks and tiny tapas. In Leon these tapas were our dinner, every bar is known for a different type of tapa. Cristina, her friend and I ordered caña con limon which is a very small beer with lemon making it very light and smooth. For the tapas it depended on where we went but we got giant croquetas (I ordered spicy of course), bread with cheese and all the different kinds of meet embutidos, chorizo on a stick over a bowl on fire to cook it, and even a small slice of pizza. I like this night life because it is going out, drinking a little, eating, and just having a good time with friends.
That night we also stopped by to see the Leon cathedral all lit up. It's beautiful, unlike it better than the Oviedo cathedral.

                                                                   Here are the tapas

                                     

                                     
                                       
                                  La Catedral durante la noche y donde estuvimos para tomar tapas

             

                                         

The next day we went out to the pueblo house and had a BBQ. I love the natural feel out there. We ate the usual Spanish BBQ food of chorizo, lamb ribs, and some other type of pig meat that I honestly don't know what it is. All this was accompanied by some bread, salad, and to end it strawberries with whipped cream. After lunch Cristina, Manuel, Cristina's dad, and I went to the pueblo bar. This pueblo is so small then we you go into the bar it's full if old men playing dominos and everyone knows everyone. Like a tiny Midwest town I would guess. Everyone kept asking who I was because I was the knew girl and everyone knew it. This pueblo is the kind where people eat their own chicken, use those eggs, grown their own veggies, and fix everything about their own houses. The center is so small that if your walking by and blink you'll miss it. All it is is a small circle of trees. After drinking our coffee and leaving the bar Cristina, Manuel, and I headed to a nearby small city name Astorga.
           

Astorga is small and known for its sweets. Almost every store sells some type of candy, chocolate, or sweets. We bought these sweets called Hojaldres. They are flakey break and honey. They are Manuel's favorite and now I know why, you can't eat only one. This town is very cool because there is a cathedral and palace designed by Gaudi. The cathedral has all the details at the top because this cathedral was built for God not humans.
                                  
                 
                       Worlds biggest Chocolate bars haha                Hojaldres

                                   


  That night we went out again with Cristina and Manuels friends but just to 2 different bars. They asked me a million questions about the US. About the food, the customs, the culture, salaries, housing, universities, and everything toucan think of. It is funny to hear everyone's different stereotypes of the US and to see how curious people are.
The next day we headed out and took a walk around Leon to see it during the day. It is a pretty city with some buildings designed by Gaudi and some other ancient religious buildings that are wry beautiful. There is a pilgrimage to Leon and there are very many religious references to the pilgrimage around the city. Leon is a very cool place to visit for a weekend.