Jude's Camino: Mansilla de Las Mulas to Leon

Relatively short day to get into Leon but warned about the traffic, noise and distractions getting into this large city (pop 130,000). Because I was expecting the worst, the modern part of the journey was clearly marked and went without a problem.

The old city was another story. I swear there is not one right-angled intersection anywhere in old Leon. And street names - forget it. Following the flechas amarillas (yellow arrows) and shells was a bit of Hansel-and-Gretel-follow-the-bread-crumb route and I was almost ready to give up when I decided to go into a hotel and ask for directions and exclaim "Estoy perdida" ( I am lost) - when my suitcase rolled by, having just been delivered. No estoy perdida!

This was the Casa de Espiritualidad in St. Isidoro and was a lovely place, reminiscent of my favourite, Monasterio San Zoilo in Carrion de los Condes.

I was a bit sorry I had booked at the Parador San Marco for the next evening as this was very nice too. But I did want to see the Parador.

It meant my rest day would be a bit complicated as I would have to manage the transfer to the Parador myself but I would figure it out.

Looked around Leon a bit, put some more money on my Spanish sim so I could still get internet on the road and then retraced my "breadcrumbs" and had drinks and early dinner on the plaza overlooking the Cathedral, one of my goals for tomorrow.

Loved Leon!! Would go back in a heartbeat. I then had a real Guiness at the Dickens pub on my way back to the hotel and to bed. Cathedral in the morning, then moving day.

Leaving Mansilla de Las Mulas - tried to edit to show the walls of the town with the scalloped battlements

Liked this door

Will keep torturing you with storks - the pictures are never as great as they are.

Puente Castro - entering older part of Leon

A peek at flying buttresses of this wonderful Gothic cathedral - more tomorrow

Left to go - have walked over 470 km so far.

Casa de Botines - neo-Gothic palace designed by Gaudi and finished in 1890's

Statue of Gaudi facing his masterpiece here in Leon- sketching. Gaudi's most famous building is the modern La Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona which I saw in 1987 and is still under construction. It has been under construction since 1884! Over 130 years.