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Paradoxplace Spain Photo & History Gallery Links Spanish & Portuguese Abbey, Monastery, Mosque and Cathedral Links
LEÓN OVERVIEW
Return to Camino de Santiago / Camino Frances Photo and History Galleries
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Asking the way (above)
.... the lack of signage must be just as bad for pilgrims as it was for Dom P see later), except that on foot a wrong turn has much more serious consequences than in Peugeot.
León was the headquarters of the Roman 7th Legion and one of the major garrison towns of Roman Spain - bet they had better signposting then !
Knowing the the way (right)
To the targets on the other side of the plaza (below) |
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León Cathedral - an Abbey Church full of stained glass
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The Basilica de San Isidoro (aka the Royal Collegiate Church of St Isidore of León) dates from the days of King Sancho the Fat in the mid 900s. It contains the reliquary of San Isidoro and some of the tombs of the early Kings and Queens of León, which are housed in a vaulted pantheon under one of Europe's earliest surviving painted ceilings (below). "Some of" because this beautiful place was occupied by Napoleon's French Army on 30 December 1808, and they not only looted it and sold most of its treasures, but also smashed many of the royal tombs and scattered the contents around.
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Dom P knocks back his first and only bottle of Rosado in the Restauranate la Balconada in the corner of León's elegant but deserted Plaza Mayor.
And it's hello to Michelle, a New Zealand pilgrim walker on a lay day, who joined the Dom for a couple of post prandial beers, and kindly answered his long interrogation about how the Camino worked for walkers. |
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León, though not full of narrow medieval streets outside the delightful central pedestrian area is a delight to wander around but a nightmare to access for car navigators (or Dom P anyway) because of absent signposting .... After an hour wandering around indifferent inner suburbs looking vainly for a tell-tale view of the cathedral spires, and even resorting to a compass, the brave Dom finally hit pay-dirt in the centre and simultaneously, like a saving apparition, saw the Hotel Conde Luna (Av Independencia, 7, tel +34 987 20 66 00).
Don't be put off by large 1960s city hotel appearances, it's a good one (except for the lack of internet despite claims to the contrary in the brochure, but they will direct you to a good internet place close by!) with huge rooms and an underground car park ... just the job because León is a place to forget the car and hang out for a day or two. The hotel restaurant is also excellent - try the pig's trotter and bean soup which would stand up against any Tuscan bean soup we have had !
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All original material © Adrian Fletcher 2000-08 - The contents may not be hotlinked, or reproduced without permission.
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