Leon is a unique place for all of you living at home in Wellington New Zealand.

If you go out into your garden and start digging a hole, and go in a straight line through the centre of the earth, you will emerge in Leon. We will wait for you only until after breakfast tomorrow.

On planet Earth, in a straight line, we can’t get further away from you. You do seem so very far away.

We met up with 6 of our camino comrades last night and had dinner in an outdoor restaurant in Plaza San Isadora . It was warm and sunny, and Friday night and a good time was had by all. Most of them are leaving Leon today and we won’t see them again until we catch up in Sarria, in eight days time.

This region and the adjacent Galicia is known for its sea food and I had one of its traditional dishes, pulpo de la Gallega. Octopus with boiled potatoes, paprika and olive oil. The arms of the octopus are sliced across to form rings with the suckers intact and it is just boiled. The potatoes are also cut into thin slices. It didn’t have a strong taste and was soft and tender although apparently it can be chewy and rubbery. It does not taste like squid, more like lobster.

Today we are regular tourists in a city. Barbara says when you are on the Camino you belong, with all the other peregrinos. In a city you are just a tourist, ie a visitor. Leon has far too much history, art and architecture to try and comprehend in a day so we had a superficial look at the cathedral, the parador hotel and the Colegiata San Isadoro.

Our hotel is part of the Colegiata San Isadoro which besides the luxury hotel has a basilica, cloister, museum, monastery, treasury and most importantly the Royal Pantheon. This is the former vestibule of the church and has been turned into a Royal Burial Vault: here lie 33 members of the Leonese Court. 11 kings, 12 queens, 10 princes and 9 counts. The very special and unique feature is the mural paintings on the six vaults that led it to be renamed “The Sistine Chapel of Romanesque Art”.

The Parador hotel is located in a masterpiece of exuberant Renaissance architecture, the San Marcos monastery. The paradors are state owned luxury hotels usually located in heritage buildings. This one excells with a stunning cloister, church, museum and beautiful gardens. Some of our friends from last night stayed here. We had the option of paying for an upgrade to here but decided we would be a little out of place. Not a little, a lot.

The Catedral, begun in 1205, is a fine example of gothic architecture. It was completed in only 50 years so has a very consistent style. Unlike Burgos which is a collection of styles added over centuries. For the most part it copies at two thirds scale Rheims Cathedral in France. The stained glass windows are why Leon is called the “Cathedral without walls”. Leon has more glass and less stone than any other cathedral in Spain. There are 125 stained glass windows set high in the walls giving a stunning lightness of touch. The artists and artisans consciously strove to glorify god, not in timber or stone, but in coloured glass.

There was not quite enough stone and major collapses occurred in the 17th and 19th centuries. Fortunately dedicated and innovative masons and architects were able to prevent total collapse and restore the cathedral.

When we arrived at the cathedral this morning the whole huge square in front was set up as a farmers’ market. A large number of Leonites (Leonese ?) were out buying their fruit and vegies. It gave something of the feel of what it may have been like in medieval times.

We have also spent some time just lying on the bed in the hotel room. It is supposed to be a rest day after all. I think we are a bit more tired than we like to admit. Barbara developed a blister on her heal three days ago. This annoyed her as it came with no warning. No soreness, no hot spot. The last two days on the meseta she wore her Keens sandals and again today in Leon. The blister is healing well, fingers (and toes) crossed. The footwear of choice on the Camino is soft sandals and thick socks. That is until it rains.

Ipod theme tune for today: Far away by Astrud Gilberto

Far away you seem so far away
When it was only yesterday
That you were oh so close to me
.. . . . . .
I only know you’re so far away
You’re long ago, so far away
Far away, so far away.