Categories
Uncategorized

Camino Frances – 2nd July to 8th July

Saturday 2nd July

 

Santiago to Río Pambre via Pedrouzo and Ribadiso. (Days 33, 32 and 31)

 

Distance 69.5 km

Max Speed 66.5 kmph

Average Speed 13.2 kmph

Total Distance 4731.34 km

 

Today we start the Camino Francés but going in reverse.  Once again we have John Brierley’s guidebook, Camino de Santiago, The Way of St James.  We’re still enjoying the luxury of our expensive hotel with its beautifully manicured lawns and aviary located right in the heart of Santiago and both feel rather negative about setting forth.  But off we go, walking back up the hill to the campsite to pack all our gear and we’re just about to leave when we meet Simon and Julie and have a good natter. They are staying in Santiago another day, so we hope to meet up with them en route.

 

The most popular route (which gets very crowded in mid-summer) is the Camino Francés which stretches 780 km (nearly 500 miles) from St. Jean-Pied-du-Port near Biarritz in France to Santiago. This route is fed by three major French routes: the Voie de Tours, the Voie de Vezelay, and the Voie du Puy. It is also joined along its route by the Camino Aragones (which is fed by the Voie d’Arles which crosses the Pyrenees at the Somport Pass), by the Camí de Sant Jaume from Montserrat near Barcelona, the Ruta de Tunel from Irun, the Camino Primitivo from Bilbao and Oviedo, and by the Camino de Levante from Valencia and Toledo.

 

The network is similar to a river system – small brooks join together to make streams, and the streams join together to make rivers, most of which join together to make the Camino Francés. During the middle ages, people walked out of their front doors and started off to Santiago, which was how the network grew up. Nowadays, cheap air travel has given many the opportunity to fly to their starting point, and often to do different sections in successive years. Some people set out on the Camino for spiritual reasons; many others find spiritual reasons along the Way as they meet other pilgrims, attend pilgrim masses in churches and monasteries and cathedrals, and see the large infrastructure of buildings provided for pilgrims over many centuries.

 

At about 12pm we’re ready to hit the road and whilst we stay on the N-547 all day (except for a misguided detour) it is very beautiful; lush, green, rolling hillsides.  And we’re really enjoying it.  

P1110726We cycle through O Pedrouzo and head on to Ribadiso, where I want to divert off the mainroad to an albergue for food and to enjoy the riverside ambience of the Rio Iso.  

P1110727 P1110728Big mistake, after missing the turn, then backtracking we discover no cooked food for another 2 hours! Annoying!  So after a quick snack we follow the pilgrim’s way instead of retracing our steps and then discover we can’t get back on the main road!  After several kilometers of pushing and slow cycling we recover the main road.  

P1110729 P1110731 P1110732 P1110733 P1110734 P1110735 P1110737 P1110738We see so many walkers, I can’t believe how many people come to do the walk.  Young and old, various nationalities, some with full rucksacks and some with barely anything, mostly walking but a lot of cyclists too.  But there are so many places to stay along the route that it suits all sorts.  After our rubbish detour we head to Melide, our new designated food stop.  We’re being constantly passed by motorcyclists.  I assume it’s just a good motorcycling road but when we enter Melide I realise my mistake.  There’s some sort of motorbike festival going on and every street is full of motorbikes.  

P1110740 P1110741 P1110742 P1110743 P1110744 P1110745 P1110746 P1110747We enjoy some people watching, have food and then push on.  I’ve chosen a spot off the N-547, on the River Pambre to wild camp.  Unfortunately the river looks black and stagnant – I’m not getting in that for a wash.  There’s an albergue next to the bridge but we’re offered a room for 36€!

P1110755 P1110748 P1110749Moving swiftly on!!  So we decide to find another camping spot.  We’re just leaving when we get chatting to a German lady, she has walked from Bremen, Germany over the last 5 months – incredible! She’s had to deal with snow, hail, rain and now sun!  We backtrack a couple of kms from the river and pitch our tent in a field.  It’s very peaceful and has views over the surrounding hills.

P1110750 P1110751 P1110752 P1110753 P1110754 P1110755

Sunday 3rd July

 

Río Pambre near Palas de Rei to Triacastela via Portomarín and Sarria (Days 30, 29, 28)

 

Distance 80 km

Max Speed 70.8 kmph

Average Speed 12.2 kmph

Total Distance 4811.34 km

 

Last night I thought I heard a vehicle alongside us which seemed strange since we were beside a grassy track inside a field.  But Daz confirms a van drove past – twice in fact.  And once disturbed Daz couldn’t sleep again, worrying about getting moved on.  I, on the other hand, rolled over and straight back to sleep.  This morning whilst packing up the farmer comes round with his dog.  We greet each other and he leaves us to it.  I think he was just checking how we’d left his field – perfectly of course, we always do a litter sweep.

P1110757 P1110758

First we cycle uphill to Palas de Rei for breakfast.  Then a couple of kilometers outside this village we leave the N-547 and follow a country lane, the walkers route.  The lane is full of walkers, in fact so many we wonder if they’ll bother to get out of our way.  The scenery is beautiful but we’re climbing for 12kms.  

P1110759 P1110760 P1110761 P1110762 P1110763 P1110764 P1110765 P1110766Then we finally hit the top and it’s 13km downhill into Portomarín.  Daz is desperately trying to set a new speed record and I’m desperately trying to contain my fear – I’d hate my panic braking to interfere with one of D’s speed records.  But alas it’s not to be, only 70.8 kmph – slow huh???

P1110767 P1110768 P1110769 P1110770 P1110771 P1110772 P1110773 P1110774 P1110775 P1110776

The reservoir of Belesar, on the river Miño, flooded the old village of Portomarín. Its main historic buildings were rescued stone by stone: they are the Romanesque church of San Pedro and the monumental church fortress of San Nicolás.
Some of the old medieval palaces were also placed in the main square of the new town of Portomarín, located on top of a hill. The medieval bridge stayed underwater and all that remains is the base and one of its arches at the entrance to the new bridge.
The old Portomarín was formed by the medieval hamlets of San Pedro and San Nicolás (today San Xoán). The church of San Xoán or San Nicolao was built at the end of the 12th century by followers of the Maestro Mateo, -the façade is influenced by the Portico of Glory at the Cathedral of Santiago-, and has been declared a Historic-Artistic Site. The nearby church of San Pedro, which is Romanesque, dates from the 10th century. Close to the church of San Pedro are the palaces of Berbetoros and of the Marquis of Paredes. Out of town and away from the main group of historic buildings, it is worth mentioning other Romanesque churches: Cortapezas and Castromaior.
Prominent among the popular architecture are the old slate houses and the traditional wine cellars, very common in this wine-growing region. But in Portomarín it is not the wine which is famous, but rather the local liquor, so renowed that they dedicate the Festa da Augardente to it on Easter Sunday.

We cross the beautiful river of Miño and then climb.  A desperately long climb.  

P1110777 P1110778 P1110779Then it’s in to Sarria and on to Samos.  Samos is incredibly beautiful and I’m glad we chose this detour.  

 

The monastery at Samos is best known for being on one of the many pilgrim’s routes (the “way of St. James”) to Santiago de Compostela cathedral, but it is a highly impressive and massive structure in its own right. It is also still active and additionally offers lodgings for those on religious retreats or connected with the pilgrimage.

P1110789 P1110790 P1110791 P1110792 P1110795 P1110796 P1110799 P1110800 P1110801 P1110802 P1110803 P1110804 P1110805 P1110807

Samos monastery has suffered many terrible fires and has been plundered on many occasions throughout its troubled history. Seven bishops have come from this monastery, the most notable of whom is the illustrious Benito Jeronimo Feijoo.

P1110780 P1110781 P1110782 P1110783 P1110784 P1110785 P1110786 P1110787 P1110793 P1110794At the beginning of the nineteenth century it was converted into a Benedictine site. The church façade dates back to the eighteenth century and is still incomplete. The most outstanding feature of the Samos monastery is the Classical Feijoo cloister, along with a statue of the aforementioned illustrious gentleman. Once inside the monastery, there is an ancient door from an old Romanesque church that was destroyed in the seventeenth century.  We rest here for a while and also dry the tent out, a chavy moment as we hang it over the railings overlooking the gorgeous monastery!  After a couple of cokes we cycle out and uphill towards Triacastela.  We want to find a wild campsite near the river before hitting the village.  But as we climb and climb we see that the river is in a deep ravine and there are no camping spots, and even if we could camp we’d need to abseil down to the river to wash.  It’s not until we hit Triacastela that the river becomes accessible but where to camp.  After much deliberation we find a spot just to the side of the river and close to the town, where we think we’re fairly inconspicuous and can access the stream.

P1110808 P1110810 P1110811First job, change into swimming cossies and into the stream. Gosh, it’s tough going for the full dunk in this cold water but we brace ourselves and it’s done.  Now to set up our tent as Mr Farmer goes passed in his tractor a gazillion times.  

 

Monday 4th July

 

Triacastela to Molinaseca via O’Cebreiro and Villafranca del Bierzo (Days 27, 26,25)

 

Distance 89.3 km

Max Speed 76.1 kmph

Average Speed 13.3 kmph

Total Distance 4900.64 km

 

Today we set the alarm for 7am but there was no need because we’re right next to the Camino and the chattering walkers start passing us from about 5am onwards.  We know our first leg today to O’Cebreiro is going to be tough, hence the planned early start.  It’s rare we’re ruled by an alarm clock these days!  So we’re up and our tent is like a swamp; it doesn’t let water in but nor does it let any out and for some reason there’s even more moisture on the inside of the fly than normal.

 P1110813 P1110814 P1110815 P1110817It’s not helped by the fact it’s a damp, misty morning, we’re near the river and we’re up before the sun can dry off any of it.  So we pack it up, sopping wet and after a quick breakfast we start the hill climb.  It took us almost 3 hours to reach the pass at 1330m and only 9km done.  The views were absolutely incredible.  

P1110818 P1110819 P1110820 P1110821 P1110822We stopped for a quick drink, thinking the worst was over, but we were still climbing an hour later, having descended twice when we finally reached  O’Cebreiro.  This is actually so much worse than I anticipated – I planned for 2 hours then flattish riding. It had already been 4 hours!!

P1110823 P1110824

P1110825 P1110826 P1110827 P1110828 P1110829 P1110830 P1110831 P1110832 P1110833 P1110834 P1110835 P1110836 P1110837 P1110838 P1110839 P1110840 P1110841 P1110842 P1110843 P1110845 P1110846 

At the final pass we chat to a group of Spanish cyclists from Salamanca who say this is the most beautiful part of Spain; not too hot (har har) not too dry and the scenery is amazing.  

P1110847 P1110848 P1110849 P1110850 P1110851 P1110852 P1110853 P1110854 P1110855But with the final pass completed at 1300 metres we started the descent.  10 km later without a pedal stroke we are at the bottom. We stop for a coke and milk and to dry the tent in the blazing sun. The next 18 km were also on a slight decline to Vilafranca and we soon powered through.  We arrive in the town and see the temperature has risen to 40 degrees celsius!!  

After a ‘menu del dia’ which we both struggled to eat due to tiredness and possibly the heat we decide to have a lie down so set out to find a ‘shady bench’.  We can only find one, so Daz sleeps on the floor.

P1110856 P1110857 P1110858 P1110859 P1110860 P1110861 P1110862 P1110863 P1110864 P1110866 P1110868 P1110869 P1110870 P1110871

Villafranca is the last important town in Leon that is crossed by the Pilgrim’s Road to Santiago de Compostela. Its rich monumental heritage, and the influence of the St. James pilgrims, have made it an important tourist centre. Its old town has been declared Property of Cultural Interest.
The main square, or Plaza Mayor, the City Hall, calle del Agua (Water Street), the arch at which it ends, the mansions, such as a 15th-century Moorish one, the convent of Agustinas Recoletas, and other palaces, make up the tourist circuit.
At the entrance of the village, you can find the 12th-century Romanesque church of Santiago. The Puerta del Perdón gate is at one of the sides. Pilgrims who could not make it to Santiago de Compostela because they were ill were given the jubilee blessing here. The Castle-Palace of the Marquises of Villafranca is near this church. However, the best place to see palaces is Calle del Agua: amid coats of arms some emblematic buildings appear, such as Torquemada Palace, Casa Morisca or the birthplace of the writer Gil y Carrasco. Other monuments that are worth visiting are, amongst others, the Gothic Collegiate Church of Santa María, built by Gil de Hontañón, the Baroque convent of San Nicolás el Real, the convents of la Anunciada and San José, founded in the 17th century, and the Church of San Francisco, which has a beautiful Mudejar coffered ceiling.

 

A couple of hours later we rouse, douse ourselves in the fountain and set off.  Apart from the temptation of a river beach and seeing everyone swimming we soon zoom through the next 24 km to Ponferrada with its huge castle.

P1110872 P1110873 P1110874 P1110875 P1110876

Ponferrada, capital of the region of El Bierzo, is one of the major staging posts on the Pilgrim’s Road to Santiago de Compostela as it passes through the province of León. The historic quarter of this town sits below an imposing castle built by the Knights Templar.
The first records of Ponferrada are as a former citadel in Roman times. From the 11th century, the rise in pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela spurred the appearance of the hamlet of Pons Ferrata, located on the Pilgrim’s Route to Santiago de Compostela and named in this way because of the building of a bridge reinforced with iron. In 1178, the King Fernando II of León placed this flourishing settlement under the custody of the Order of the Temple. The Knights Templar used the site of a primitive Roman fortress to build a castle in which they settled and which, at the same time, protected the passing pilgrims. This favoured demographic growth and led to the commercial development of the area.

The Castle rises above the river Sil, dominating the city’s historic quarter. Construction began on this medieval fortress with a polygonal structure towards the end of the 12th century. The entrance is on the south side, over a drawbridge spanning the moat. The main façade, meanwhile, is flanked by two large towers joined by a double semicircular arch. Standing off a large interior courtyard are various rooms, such as the Armoury or the Stables, not forgetting its Keep and others like the Malpica, Cabrera, Malvecino, etc.
At the foot of the Castle is the historic quarter of the city, with entry along Calle del Reloj. It is on this street where the Clock Tower stands, built during the reign of Carlos I in the 16th century, on the site of one of the gates of the former walled enclosure.
Next to the Clock Tower is the Convent of the Conceptionist Mothers. The building, on two floors, was erected in masonry by Francisco Samper, beginning in 1565. Particularly noteworthy is its façade, which features a vaulted niche with the image of the Purísima Concepción.
The end of this streets leads into the Plaza de la Encina, a traditional site of commercial activity. The Basilica de la Encina stands on the square and is one of the most outstanding religious buildings in the city. The church was built in the Renaissance style in 1573, while its baroque tower dates from later, from 1614. Inside, as well as the carving of the Virgen de la Encina, some reredos can be seen, among which the high altar is outstanding, the work of Mateo Flores in the 17th century.
At the bottom end of the historic quarter is the Hospital de la Reina, Renaissance in style, and the baroque church of San Andrés, which houses a Christ of the Knights Templar.

A stop for an ice lolly then it’s the final crawl up to our last stop and camping site today – Molinaseca, a Municipal site, the Albergue Municipal San Roque, only 6 euros to pitch our tent, have a shower and space to dry out all our gear.  The people running it, Manuel and his wife, are so warm, friendly and helpful.

P1110877 P1110878  They can’t do enough for us. We   sample their home cooked dinner, which included a delicious lentil soup.  Today has been a tough, hot, challenging day. We had our highest pass so far at 1330 metres, our hottest at 40degrees and fastest descent at 76.1 kmph! We have seen people pushing prams holding their bergans, a dachshund with booties on to protect  his feet on the walk, walkers pulling trollies and many cyclists and walkers of all ages, nationalities and abilities.  This is a fabulous route and inspires us to keep pushing even through such adversity.    

 

Tuesday 5thJuly

 

Molinaseca to Astorga via Rabanal del Camino (Days 23, 24)

 

Distance 50. km

Max Speed 0 kmph

Average Speed 0 kmph

Total Distance 4950.64 km

 

We need another early start today because we’ve got 12km of climb, gaining 900m in elevation to 1515m. We’re up but we’re enjoying our breakfast and Manuel’s company and extra coffees that I don’t want to leave.

P1110879 P1110880 P1110881 Finally we force ourselves to hit the road.  Then within minutes another delay whilst we admire and photograph the beautiful bridge and river in Molinaseca.  

P1110882 P1110883 P1110884 P1110885 P1110886Then we hit the road again and we pretty much manage 7km. We’re just grinding in our lowest gear, and it’s slow progress but we’re so pleased we’re over half way and have made steady but slow progress.  

P1110887 P1110888 P1110889 P1110890 P1110891 P1110892 P1110893 P1110894 P1110895 P1110896 P1110897 P1110898Then we stop for a drink in Acebo.  It’s cobbled here so we needed to dismount and push anyway.  We’re pushing out of the village when we  see a lady on a trike – our dream machine.

P1110900 P1110901 P1110902 P1110903 P1110904 P1110906 P1110907 P1110909 We’ve come to the decision, since we met Jaap in Nigran, that we can’t/won’t cycle our tandem round the world.  There are many reasons but the main ones: my position is neither fully recumbent nor fully upright.  I slip in my seat constantly which means the edge of my seat digs into my arse and my back loses contact with my seat back resulting in a bad lower back.  Daz has a comfortable biking position but steering is a stressful job especially at low speed; even removing a hand to wipe sweat away can send us zigzagging across the road.  And we need to carry more gear – more water, a cooker and food.  Not in Europe but in less developed countries where facilities might not be so plentiful.  We did think single recumbent but i’m sorely tempted by a trike: no stability issues, comfortable seat, no need for a bike stand and no need to unclip! Trikes are as about as common as our tandem recumbent so we have to say hello which leads to coffee, a test ride and a discussion about ‘best buy’ in the trike world. Marjo is on an Ice Adventurer and whilst she’s had some problems with it, she’s absolutely delighted because it has given her back her freedom (she had a serious car accident and is lucky to be here at all!) .  She’s with her husband and they’ve cycled from their home in Holland and hope to continue their cycling expedition into England before returning home.  After chatting to them we head off and then see a tandem.  A Belgium couple mending their puncture, another chat and we’re off.

P1110910 P1110911 P1110912 But OMG the rest has done us no favours, we’d done over half the climb before stopping but clearly this was just the warm up and there are so many steep bits that we have to push.  

P1110913 P1110914 P1110915 P1110916 P1110917Finally we hit the top, we think, but sadly there are no markers, but we think it’s the 1515 m point, 900m of climb and it’s far to say some of the last couple of climbs nearly made us sick.

P1110918 P1110919 P1110920 P1110921 P1110922 P1110923 P1110924 P1110925 P1110926 P1110927 The next pinnacle is the Cruz de Ferro and we stop to admire the cross before heading on to Rabanal del Camino.  An easy ride and barely any pedalling.  We stop here and find a restaurant with ‘menu del dia’.  Included in the price is a glass of red wine, well we thought it was a glass but it turned out to be a jug and since the food was mediocre, I decided to make it up in fluid intake.  Thank God the remainder of today’s route was just down hill into Astorga.   

During this leg we see a young lady with her dog in a pram.  The poor dog has tendenitis so she got a pram so he could still keep her company. Definitely ‘man’s best friend ‘.

P1110929 P1110931

 The capital of the county of Maragatería in the province of León offers a rich medieval legacy, the result of its location at the crossroads of: the Pilgrim’s Road to Santiago de Compostela and the Ruta de la Plata (Silver Road). Its walled town preserves churches, convents and hospitals which take travellers back to the purest tradition of the Pilgrim’s Road. Another outstanding feature in the town’s streets is a culminating work by the Modernist architect Antoni Gaudí: the Bishop’s Palace. Astorga is, also, a good opportunity for enjoying the rich cuisine of this area. here we find a hostal so a real bed for the night and after some sightseeing we catch up on admin; laundry and posting our latest blog.  

P1110932 P1110933 P1110934 P1110935 P1110936 P1110937 P1110938 P1110939 P1110941 P1110943 P1110944 P1110947 P1110948 P1110950

 

Wednesday 6thJuly

 

Astorga to León via Villadangos del Paramo  (Days 22, 21)

 

Distance 53 km

Max Speed 0 kmph

Average Speed 0 kmph

Total Distance 5003. 64 km

 

Another easy ride today but incredibly dull scenery unfortunately.  Yup it seems the tough riding equals the most spectacular scenery.  We’re on the N120 whilst the Camino runs right alongside but along a gravel track. Nothing of note happens except we stop for a coke, I hang out the tent to dry and whilst i’m doing that a car drives into the back of a van that has stopped at a zebra crossing.

P1110951 P1110952 P1110953

 

P1110955And then we arrive in León.  First stop a bike shop dealing in Azubs but they’ve only got one recumbent in store, no trikes and unfortunately any informative chat is impossible because they don’t speak English, and us no Spanish.

So we head off to find our bed for the night.  Daz has been scheming for months for this stop over because tomorrow is my birthday.  So we’re staying here for 3 nights and he’s only gone and booked the Parador.  What a fantastic treat.  It’s absolutely gorgeous.  

If you are lucky, your ultimate destination in Leon will be the San Marcos Hostal, a Parador hotel that will take your breath away with its serene magnificence.  Yes i am that lucky!

received_10154255048772889 received_10154255048792889 received_10154255049187889 received_10154255087107889 received_10154255087117889 received_10154255087122889 received_10154255087127889 received_10154255087132889 received_10154255087142889 received_10154255087162889 received_10154255087177889 received_10154255087192889 received_10154255087197889 received_10154255087217889 received_10154255087222889

The Parador San Marcos Monastery – The magnificent 100-metre facade of San Marcos Monastery barely prepares you for its even more astonishing interior. As this is the best hotel in Leon and certainly one of the five best in Spain, suffice to say that even if you aren’t fortunate enough to stay here, you should certainly visit San Marcos both to enjoy its sumptuous elegance and to see the small but touchingly beautiful 11th-century ivory Carrizo Crucifix displayed in the archaeological museum.

 

Unfortunately the receptionist says we can park the bike in the luggage room, but the luggage room guardian says ‘no’ we must park it in the carpark round the back.  Sadly this means we end up carrying our own bags – gutted, wanted a bag man.  Then as we’re about to cycle round the back with the bike the receptionist rushes out to ask Daz about the ice he requested.  Poor Daz has to sidle away to have his ‘secret’ discussion.  But the surprise is kinda ruined and it doesn’t help that by the time we’ve parked the bike, struggled down the corridor towards our room we are neck and neck with a waiter, with an ice bucket and a bottle of champers!!! My birthday champers.  

received_10154255049107889 received_10154255049187889 received_10154255064217889 received_10154255105987889 received_10154255106107889 received_10154255106237889 received_10154255106272889But it’s lovely and funny too.  The room is gorgeous and I love this luxury after cheap hostels and wild camping.  We spend several hours drinking our champagne and relaxing and then Daz goes off for another ‘secret’ discussion.  A very long while later he returns looking really unhappy.  For weeks he’d been trying to work out our schedule, where we’d be for my birthday and what present he could get.  He’d found a 4×4 off road buggy experience near León.  The arrangements had been agreed and emails sent.  But today the guy says it ain’t happening.  He has no English speakers, well that’s his excuse anyway.  Poor Daz!  He’s really upset but actually I’m loving my other treats and we can always do it somewhere else – perhaps near Blajan. in the evening we go out for food.  We see a bizarre new game: wetted sand pitch, 9 skittles and a hemispherical, wooden throwing implement.  The men throw the half ball up into the air towards the pitch.  We couldn’t work out if the aim is to hit the skittles or whether there’s scoring areas.  

P1110957 P1110958 P1110959

We sit in the cathedral square enjoying people watching and then watching the spectacular forked lightning as a big storm moved over León.    

 

Thursday 7th July – León and Hels’ 50 th birthday.

 

A sumptuous breakfast in the Parador.  

P1120006 P1120007 P1120008 P1120009 P1120010Then a relaxed stroll around León and its beautiful sights.

Leon
To judge by the first sight of its outskirts, Leon is like any other modern Spanish city: a few smoke-belching factories and a crop of ugly apartment blocks. But as you move nearer to the older heart of the city, there is an increasing sense of excitement: you begin to realise that you are on the threshold of something special. You may catch a glimpse of the cathedral, you may take a wrong turning and find yourself nosing up a tiny one-way street past ancient houses and through marvellous arcaded squares that are reminiscent of Venice.

P1110963 P1110964 P1110965 P1110966 P1110967 P1110968 P1110969 P1110970 P1110971 P1110972 P1110973 P1110974 P1110975 P1110976 P1110977 P1110980 P1110982 P1110983 P1110984 P1110985 P1110986 P1110987 P1110988 P1110989 P1110990 P1110992 P1110993 P1110994 P1110995 P1110996 P1120001
Leon Cathedral – When the guide book compares Leon cathedral to Chartres, it sounds a little too much like journalistic hyperbole. Leon’s cathedral might be impressive, but as good as Chartres? At first glimpse, the cathedral cannot match Chartres’ massive airship-hangar bulk. But once through the remarkable portals, the point of the comparison becomes clear. The stained-glass windows produce a breath taking swirl of colour. The guide-books tell you that the cathedral has 125 windows and 57 oculi producing an area of glass totalling 1,200 square metres — in fact, so much glass and so little wall that the cathedral is in danger of collapsing. But nothing can prepare you for their full dramatic effect. Leon cathedral is unique in Spain, for its windows as, much as for its clean-cut elegance.


The first church erected on this site was in 924, the current Gothic church is the fourth which was started in 1205 and is mostly a copy of the cathedral at Rheims planned by Bishop Manrique de Lara and the foundations were first started by Bishop Martin Rodriguez el Zamorano whose tomb is inside. The finances around the build are interesting: Alfonso X contributed handsomely it is said as his father, Fernando III, had not repaid a loan to the Pope used to reconquer Seville. The papacy granted indulgences to contributors, stopped Italian creditors collecting monies, and signed over a third of their tithes from rural Leon. In 1258 a church in Madrid offered 40 day indulgences to large contributors and two chapels, Santiago and San Clemente, were offered to the highest bidders.  Because of this sustained drive to raise funds the cathedral was built in record time, and by 1302 was complete. During the 15th century Renaissance tastes influenced some rebuilding and additions for example the library was built during this period by Juan de Badajoz the Elder, also the sacristy, several portals, and a new arch to connect the cloister with the cathedral. However the cathedral still retains it 13th century Gothic structure.

The inside of the cathedral is best viewed in the early morning or later afternoon when the sun moves quicker across the floor and walls as it illustrates the colours from rose stained glass windows.  Leon cathedral was known as the cathedral without walls, as it has more glass and less stone as walls than any other cathedral in Spain.

Basilica of San Isidoro – San Isidoro is built into the old city walls, an impressive chunk of which can still be seen behind the basilica. The Royal Pantheon and Treasury, whose entrance is to the left of the church, contain some exceptional 12th century frescoes illustrating New Testament, hunting and pastoral scenes.

The Basilica was built on a Roman Temple to Mercury, which had been replaced by a monastery dedicated to San Juan Bautista, however that was destroyed at the end of the 10th century by the Moor invasion.  The current church is of 11th century construction and was the most important church in north west Spain as it established the artistic Romanesque models used in the northern half of Spain. The church was enlarged by Princess Urraca during the 11th century, the portico and crypt were preserved and remain original.

Inside there is an interesting inscription on the baptismal font from Pedro Deustamben who takes credit for rebuilding the church and miracles that happened through him as he was such a great person – it is odd.

 

Later in the afternoon we return to the hotel, I have a full body massage and facial booked.   Wow, the massage is verging on painful but it’s lovely and I’m sure it’s good to have the kinks worked out of my body.   OMG I could learn to love all this pampering.  What a fabulous treat! In the evening we go for another walk in the city. We sit on the street at a restaurant and as we eat some sumptuous food watch the people go by. A fabulous end to a marvellous birthday experience.

P1120004 P1120005

Friday 8th July

Today we’re off on a tour of the Valporquero Caves.  We catch a bus from just outside the hotel.  There’s a driver, a ticket lady and one other passenger.  None of them speak English.  At the caves we have a new tour guide who speaks extensively, unfortunately not in English – thank goodness we have a brochure in English. It’s semi dark in the caves so reading the guide, our only English reference is quite hard!

P1120011 P1120013 P1120014 P1120015 P1120016 P1120017 P1120018 P1120019 P1120020 P1120021 P1120022 P1120023 P1120024 P1120025 P1120026 P1120027 P1120028 P1120029 P1120030 P1120031 P1120032 P1120034 P1120035 P1120036 P1120037 P1120038 P1120039 P1120040 P1120041 P1120042 P1120043 P1120044 P1120045 P1120046 P1120047 P1120048 P1120049 P1120050 P1120051 P1120052 P1120053 P1120054 P1120055 P1120056 P1120057 P1120058 P1120059 P1120060 P1120063 P1120064 P1120065 P1120067 P1120068 P1120069 P1120070 P1120071 P1120072 P1120074 P1120075 P1120076

Cave of Valporquero
Situated in the heart of the mountains of León, next to another site of immense beauty: the Vagacervera Gorge. Just a million years old, this is Castilla y León’s youngest cave, formed during the Pleistocene, when the icy waters of the Valporquero Stream trickled silently between the limestone, forming the magnificent sight we can visit today.

Inside visitors can admire flowing forms, columns, stalactites and stalagmites in the seven rooms that make up this cave. Some of the figures and rooms have been given names, such as ‘Fairies’, the ‘Stalactite Cemetery’ or ‘Solitary Column’ , inspired by the imagination of those that have admired them; capricious forms and figures including ‘The Phantom’ ‘Virgin and Child’, ‘Twins’ or ‘The Tower of Pisa’.

This is also a great place for lovers of potholing, who can follow the ‘course of the waters’, a fascinating route that is guaranteed to surprise and delight.P1120078 P1120079 P1120080 P1120081 P1120082 P1120083