Food glorious food!

As we’re entering our final week I thought I’d talk a bit about the wonderful food and drink here in Leon.

Before coming I wasn’t sure how easily decaf coffee would be to get, but I shouldn’t have worried. I have had the most amazing 'cafe descafeinado con leche de machina', particularly from the cafe across the road from the school where we all pile into at break time. Break time is a great time to get to know the teachers a bit, to get all their recommendations for the best places to visit, and exchange stories. Georgi, who owns the cafe, knows all our orders off pat and the tapas that go with her excellent coffee sees you through until lunchtime.

Iain and I are not at the university residence so we find our own food. At lunch we sometimes eat in the incredibly noisy canteen. We usually start with soup, as much as you want. It’ll then be followed by a meat or fish and salad, along with bread. Pudding is usually fruit or a yoghurt. We then stop in a cafe on our way home for a coffee, and in our latest cafe the coffee comes with a delicious cake which is a bit like a slightly citrusy Madeira.

If not going to the canteen, we’ll stop at a restaurant and have their menu del dia - a really good value three course meal with bread and a drink (wine, beer or water) costing between 11 and 15 euros. That sees us through for the rest of the day as you are usually not eating until after 2.30. If we’re going out later, the tapas at the local bars are more than enough for a snack, and you get the tapas free with your drink. At our very local bar the other night, we had a small glass of wine with tapas for 1€! 

Leon is famous for its dried meats, and they have won chorizo competitions. The cured meats are lovely as tapas, either slices on their own or on bread. And the local wine is very easy to drink. They do a sweet white wine which is not my cup of tea but is certainly not unpalatable! And the pastry shops are incredible too, loads of different types of biscuits and cakes.

Yesterday before our arranged tour of Leon we ate breakfast in a restaurant. It consisted of freshly squeezed orange juice with coffee and croissants, or Spanish tortillas or a slice of toast with a tomato topping and cured meats.

You'd think we'd be enormous by now, but with Leon being so accessible we're walking everywhere and have been averaging 6 miles a day.

The best meal we’ve had so far has been on Moira’s recommendation. For 20€ we ate in the cloisters of an old monastery attached to San Isidoro. It was so good all the Leon group are going on Friday lunchtime as our final meal.

Buen apetito!