Leon, 10 May (rest day)

I was up fairly late at 8.00 a.m.  Breakfast was very ordinary, with not much fresh fruit to be had. I went off to the Plaza Mayor, which has a big fruit and veggie market on Saturday mornings.  Everything was so tempting: boxes of strawberries and cherries, but these would only get squashed in my backpack tomorrow.  I settled for an avocado, a tomato, some dates and 2 mandarin oranges.  I then went on to the Albergue Santa Maria de Carbajal Convent to buy a new Credencial, as mine is almost full of stamps now.

I also revisited the Basilica of San Isidoro with its amazingly detailed and colourful 12th century frescos. I was able to take 3 illicit photos whilst the guide was busy outside! The frescos are a sort of calendar of medieval life, depicting what folk were doing in each month of the year.

San Isidoro cloisters

Frescos

October: gathering acorns
November: killing the pig

San Isidoro door

After a snack lunch of bread, cheese and beer in my room and a quick siesta, I did some booking on the phone for Monday and Tuesday.  Then I went back to the Cathedral Square for one of Leon's famous hot chocolates.  Groups of well dressed Spanish people started arriving in great numbers.  Of course, it was Saturday and this was the Cathedral.  Time for a wedding!  Sadly for them, a sneaky wind got up and began to ruin their hairstyles.  I tried for some photos through the railings which closed off the Cathedral entrance.  The west door, beneath the big rose window, was now open for guests only.  I also took a photo of the 2 smiling sisters at the hot chocolate cafe.

Market

Fish market

Sisters at Choclateria

At 8.30 p.m. I went back to the good restaurant at the Hotel Albany.  They were in no hurry to start serving dinner, but I hung in there and ordered stuffed asparagus with noodles for Primero, then sea bass with salad for Secundo.  The inside restaurant was deserted as Janet, the disgruntled waitress, busied herself laying the outside tables.  I was later joined by an English couple who were touring Spain for 6 weeks by car, and had pre-booked all their accommodation in self-catering places on the Internet before setting off.  Then came an Aussie couple, whom I'd seen before, but the waitress wouldn't give them the pilgrims' menu (in English) because it was now 9.30 p.m.  Only Spanish a la carte was available, which they couldn't understand.  They left to try somewhere else.  What a way to do business!  The food was good, though. (Las Termas Restaurant).