Two New Favorites: Chocolate con Churros y El Cristo

Having now been in Spain for 3 weeks or so, I am in love. With the culture. With the Spanish people. With the sights. And, with the food. My host mom and I regularly discuss all of these topics; however, food is probably our most popular topic. While I had assumed before leaving that I would probably come back a curvier version of myself, my host mom quickly informed during a meal consisting of a huge chunk of bread, fried chicken, a fried egg, and cheese, that she was confident I would not gain weight while I was here in Spain. While the mediterranean diet is known to be a very healthy diet, I had my doubts.

My doubts mainly stemmed from the fact that my favorite section of the food pyramid has always been desserts. So, although fruit or flavored yogurt is usually the dessert of choice here, my friends and I made a delicious discovery on our way home from an orientation: chocolate con churros.

Now, I am guessing the image you have in your head is the cinnamon sugar-covered churros sold at country fairs and the like. While delicious, I am talking about a whole new level of churro. Served freshly out of the oven, the churros are sprinkled with sugar, and paired with melted dark chocolate served in which one can dunk their crunchy sweet treats. Talk about heaven!

With that said, it is not surprising that my other new favorite is "El Cristo", a Christ-like stone statue situated atop a nearby hillside in Oviedo that is reminiscent of "El Cristo" in Brazil (but a much smaller version). With 360 degree views of all of Oviedo and its surrounding areas, including the beach town of Gijón, it is breathtaking. The best part is that in order to observe these incredible views, one must hike a steep hill for an hour: the perfect solution to an indulgence in chocolate con churros. Another bonus is that the hike begins with views of 8th century monuments that have been preserved and are still open for tours.

I am honestly so grateful for how God has already blessed my time here through every aspect of the experience, even though school started today :)

To give you perspective, I have included pictures and video of both of my new favorites. Enjoy!

*Please forgive the poor quality of the audio... there was a lot of wind.

Las chicas and I at La Corte de Pelayo enjoying our new treat!

Angelina and I at the top

Hasta pronto!