Haiku 5: Food

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In a wash of heat

a Colombian woman

proudly lays out food

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This weekend has been wonderful. Yesterday, me, Lieve and Bob went to Leon’s contemporary art museum in the morning. We took a slightly longer route to get there (which, hem, had nothing to do with my map reading skills..) which took us down smaller streets with beautiful views of Leon’s old and new buildings crammed together – it still hasn’t stopped surprising me how evidence of different eras exist so easily together here. People will zoom past medieval walls on their electric scooters and a block of 1920s flats squeezes up beside a supermarket.

I didn’t like everything in the art museum, but some things I loved, including an installation of a city street reflected in puddles, changing from day to night. The visit made me feel grounded again. Me and Lieve went on to find a café that turned out to be more like a restaurant – a very proud Colombian woman seemed to be running the place and put a tablecloth and place settings over our outdoor table. The sun was beating down on us and I truly felt like I was on holiday. The lovely woman (she so patiently waited for me to speak the Spanish I knew and we had a couple of successful communications!) presented Lieve with Colombian empanadas and I had a huuge salad with walnuts, leaves, mango, avocado, apple, strawberries, raisins and oil-dipped bread. My favourite thing I’ve had here by far. The woman took a picture of us for what I believe was their facebook page..!! We explored Quevedo park afterwards where a couple of peacocks swanned around the paths – gorgeous things. The day ended with food in the Plaza Mayor and our reunion with Joan. I had a poached egg inside a carved-out bread roll – bloody genius.

Today was mostly lesson planning (which I'm finding difficult for some classes, and very chilled for others), however a small group of us spent the latter part of the morning at Mass, in the side chapel of Leon’s cathedral – such a beautiful place and such an interesting experience. I’ve never seen a Mass before; highlights included getting flicked at with holy water and hearing the organ player’s beautiful singing – maravilloso.


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