#astorgas

[calabazarecipes]

Love grape season. Had to sadly resist taking these home from Astorga’s open air… Love grape season. Needed to sadly resist taking these residence from Astorga's open air farmer's market!

[njgrayabroad]

Aug. 30: Astorga and Las Médulas

Current location: Condesa de Sagasta 42 (where I catch up on blog posts and sleep)

Yesterday, the students and I took an awesome trip to the neighboring town of Astorgas and the incredible landscape of Las Médulas. We traveled with another group from the University of Washington, a master’s program in teaching english to non-english speakers, on a small bus with comfy seats. More friends were made that day.

Astorgas is known for it’s chocolate, grand cathedral, and palace designed by Gaudi. We are happy to say we thoroughly experienced all three.

On our way to las Médulas, we stopped by a small village and enjoyed the best meal of our time in Spain so far. For me, that was a first course of eggplant lasagna, and a second of trout– a local, traditional food. (Did I mention that lunch comes in three courses?) We had to leave on the bus before we could experience the sweet course, but we were more than content with what we had eaten to tide us over for our hike.

And it was a gorgeous hike. Up and over a mountain! It is part of a famous route called the “Camino de Santiago,” a kind of a pilgrimage from southern France to northwestern Spain. We’ve seen many people, backpacking-packs in tow, on this route through León as well. The tour takes you through the main towns and cathedrals, and is marked by shells along the way.

We began on the ridge and hiked down into the town of Las Medullas: what used to be an alluvial miner’s town, but is now filled with gardeners and restaurants. We relaxed at a local bar and got some ice cream and drinks before we met our bus.

I’m excited to visit a farmer’s market in downtown León today before doing some homework and preparing for the upcoming week.

Talk to you soon, Natalie