Leon, Spain - December 2014

Streets of Leon

As I have mentioned the first time we went to Leon we really did not get to explore the city other than for some tapas in the evening so we decided it was time to go back.  We grabbed a train from Valladolid for around 14 euros and it took close to two hours to get there.  We started out around noon since it was a Sunday and we wanted to sleep in.  We also bought our tickets home which were only 10 euros which we thought was pretty awesome but then discovered it was also another half hour on the train.

Train rides

Once arriving in Leon we wandered the streets for a while just looking at all the old buildings and interesting walkways.  There was one street in particular we thought was neat because it was sort of a tunnel with these super high walls on either side.  Then we got a little concerned because in the event of a zombie attack that is not where you would want to be so we got out of there pretty quickly.

You do not want to be caught here during zombie attacks...The doors are locked and the walls are higher then they appear.

There was also a pretty huge gypsy market that we walked through for a while.  Sometimes these markets are full of nothing but garbage but occasionally there are markets with actual good stuff.  They sell anything from clothes, to beauty products, toys, garlic, electronics and really just anything you could think of. I ended up getting some face cream from one booth.  The cream was brand new and the brand I like but for less than it costs me in the store.  I don't know where they get this stuff, maybe its stolen, maybe it fell off a truck, either way I was happy especially since it was Sunday so all the shops are closed.  Although on that note we did find Leon had a few shops open which we thought was pretty great.  Seems the people of Leon realize this isn't the stone ages and some people actually like to do things on the weekend.

It was a chilly day so it didn't take long before we decided hot drinks were necessary to warm our hands. We ended up at this really interesting bar/cafe in the main touristy area downtown.  It was fairly large with a big screen tv playing a futbol match (typical) and many assorted small meats in the snack display.  We just had some coffee and watched the futbol players take dives for a bit as we warmed up with our drinks.

After coffee we had a bit of a picnic lunch in a cute little park we found.  We ate some bread, cheese and apples while we watched the people wander down the streets.  I have always loved bread and cheese but since moving here I have eaten more than I would like to admit.  Probably why my tummy is expanding so rapidly.  Cheese is just so cheap here that it is hard to resist buying it.   My fellow Canadians let me tell you Canada is screwing us in the cheese department!  Think about how much a triangle of brie costs, maybe 6 to 10 dollars, well here it is 1 euro.  I used to think making a lasagna was expensive because of the cheese part but here it is a fairly inexpensive dinner to make (which is awesome because we love lasagna).

Park life

Anyhow enough cheese talk.  We went to the cathedral next because it was really the main reason we wanted to come back.  I don't know if you remember me saying that the cathedral in Palencia was the most beautiful but I may have jumped the gun on that one.  Leon has perhaps not the biggest, although it is still huge, but the most beautiful and interesting cathedral we have seen yet.  One of the best parts of visiting this cathedral is that they give you a recording device that plays in whatever language you need and tells you the story of the entire building.  They had these in Burgos as well.  It is so great to have these since otherwise everything is in Spanish so we do not end up learning much about the places we visit.

The cathedral was built between the late 13th and early 14 centuries and is a Gothic masterpiece.  It has more than 100 stained glass windows which cover over 19000 square feet.  This was such an amazing sight.  The detail that goes into each piece is stunning.  There was a period where the cathedral was going through major renovations and the windows all had to be taken down.  All of the piece were stored in boxes and reassembled afterwards.  I cant imagine making it in the first place let alone taking it down and putting it back up.  Such delicate and intricate pieces of coloured glass.

If you ever have the chance to visit Leon do not pass up the opportunity to visit this gorgeous building.  We spent over an hour just staring at the windows and breathtaking carvings which surround the main alter.  We both agree that this was like something out of a dream.  It amazes me how much time and effort was once put into construction in these places of worship.

After leaving the cathedral we went for beers and pimientos de padron (roasted peppers).  What is fun about these peppers though is that you get a large plate of them and they all look the same but some are really spicy and some are just mild so you do not know which ones are which.  Unfortunately we were disappointed with these as not one was spicy.  We did drop one on the floor though so we assume that was the only hot one.

Cerveza

We then decided to wander along the river for a bit before getting our train home.  The river is called The Rio Bergnesga.  It is a nice waterfront with many paths and trees surrounding it.  It was dark and cold though so we didn't wander too far.  It was quiet and was a nice way to escape the busy city streets where everyone was gathered for tapas and drinks.

Leon is a lovely city.  It was lively and seemed to have a more youthful vibe to it.  We feel like living in Valladolid we live in a retirement community so it is nice to be a a more lively city for a change. It is not a large city; the population is only 150,000, so half the size of Valladolid but there were many tourists there as well as the actual population.  We do not get a lot of tourists in Valladolid (not surprisingly).

Leon has an interesting history and is worth looking into and reading up on for those of you who have the desire.  The period beginning in 910 was one of Leons  most prominent historical periods.  Leon became the capital of the Kingdom of Leon and had a very active role in the Reconquista against the Moors. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconquista