¡Bienvenidos a León! We have arrived at our starting point along the Camino de Santiago. After traveling various paths to get here, we have finally all arrived (except for Nick) at the beginning. We met up at our hotel, Hotel Reina, on the afternoon and evening of May 26, and spent the night getting accustomed to the city. Dr. Gyug took us on a mini tour of the old city, where we enjoyed tapas, a Spanish tradition in which several small plates (appetizers, or 'tapas') are ordered and shared among the group. One of the dishes we tried was 'morcilla,' or Spanish blood sausage, which we both enjoyed (even Allison, the ex-vegetarian).
The next day, May 27, we officially began our tour of the city at the Catedral de Santa María de la Regla, the largest church in León. Because the cathedral is dedicated to her, Mary is depicted in the middle of the main entrance as the statue of 'Virgina Blanca' (White Virgen). It contains some of the most well-preserved stained glass windows from the Middle Ages, not surprising, given that it is also known as 'Pulchra Leonina,' which means 'the Leonese Light.' Together, we walked through the cathedral, admiring the hallmarks of Gothic architecture, such as the detailed tympana and ribbed vaulting. An interesting fact about Gothic churches: the stained glass on the northern transept is often blue colored, while the stained glass on the southern transept is yellow to capture the colors of the sunrise and sunset.
Following Andrew's exquisite tour of the cathedral, Allison heroically led the way (with help from Dr. Gyug) to the Collegiate Church of San Isidoro. The remains of San Isidoro, who was bishop of Sevilla in the
seventh century, were moved to the monastery church of St. John the Baptist, now the Collegiate Church, in 1063. At this time, León was just becoming an important stop along the Camino de Santiago, and visiting his reliquary became a part of the pilgrim's experience in the city. The church on this site has been rebuilt and added on to so many times that it today exhibits Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque styles. Because of this, there are both rounded and pointed arches, as well as a Baroque railing and sculpture of San Isidoro above 'la Puerta del Cordero' (Gate of the Lamb, 
which depicts the Resurrection of Christ and the hand of God intervening to stop the sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham). The Collegiate Church also houses a museum, which includes the treasury of elaborate chalices, reliquaries, and other religious items donated to the church throughout the Middle Ages and some volumes from the collegiate library. The earliest manuscripts date back as far as the Carolingian era. Finally, the tour of San Isidoro finished with the Panteon de los Reyes, considered by many to be the Sistine Chapel of the Spanish Romanesque style because of its elaborate eleventh-century frescos.
After, the group walked to San Marcos, which used to be an accomodation for pilgrims sponsored by the royal family but has since been converted into a parador, or luxury hotel (just a tad out of our budget this time around). Later in the day, we reconvened outside the hotel in
Following Andrew's exquisite tour of the cathedral, Allison heroically led the way (with help from Dr. Gyug) to the Collegiate Church of San Isidoro. The remains of San Isidoro, who was bishop of Sevilla in the
seventh century, were moved to the monastery church of St. John the Baptist, now the Collegiate Church, in 1063. At this time, León was just becoming an important stop along the Camino de Santiago, and visiting his reliquary became a part of the pilgrim's experience in the city. The church on this site has been rebuilt and added on to so many times that it today exhibits Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque styles. Because of this, there are both rounded and pointed arches, as well as a Baroque railing and sculpture of San Isidoro above 'la Puerta del Cordero' (Gate of the Lamb, 
which depicts the Resurrection of Christ and the hand of God intervening to stop the sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham). The Collegiate Church also houses a museum, which includes the treasury of elaborate chalices, reliquaries, and other religious items donated to the church throughout the Middle Ages and some volumes from the collegiate library. The earliest manuscripts date back as far as the Carolingian era. Finally, the tour of San Isidoro finished with the Panteon de los Reyes, considered by many to be the Sistine Chapel of the Spanish Romanesque style because of its elaborate eleventh-century frescos.After, the group walked to San Marcos, which used to be an accomodation for pilgrims sponsored by the royal family but has since been converted into a parador, or luxury hotel (just a tad out of our budget this time around). Later in the day, we reconvened outside the hotel in
order to go to collect our credenciales. The credencial is basically the pilgrim's passport and must be issued by a designated site along the Camino. At each stop, we will receive a stamp with a date to show that we reached that destination. With one stamp down, we're finally ready to set out on the trail tomorrow morning at 7:00 (SHARP!!). The weather has been beautiful so far, with only a little bit of rain and a slight chill in the air--not a bad thing, though, when you're trekking across Spain at this time of year! Here's to a blister-free journey to San Martin!
Hasta el próximo,
Andrew and Allison
Hasta el próximo,
Andrew and Allison
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