Gaudi, a terrifying statue of Death, peacock hostage situation, and kitten heels in a pilgrim’s backpack. Leon rest day – absolutely no regrets.
📊 Rest Day Facts:
- Distance: 0 km walked intentionally + numerous km wandered around the city in complete denial
- Time: One full glorious day
- The Vibe: Cultural overload, plenty of emotions, and retail therapy
Leon deserved a full rest day. Partly because the Meseta resets your Camino countdown. Partly because Gaudi has a building here. Pilgrims, here is your stone you can throw at me for another full rest day (I promise, it’s almost the last one on my Camino)!
Leon is simply beautiful- from Casa Botines of Gaudi, museums, parks, cafes to the main square with the Cathedral and the famous square of San Marcos with its pilgrim’s statue and one of the Paradores with its peaceful green yard.
Take your time in the Cathedral (Santa María de Leon, famous for its 1,800 square meters of 13th to 16th-century stained glass)- wandering around and exploring the ceiling, statues, and arches.
Don’t rush to leave it – just before the exit, there is a small museum with only a 3 Euro entrance fee, which was one of the most impressive in my whole life (and believe me, I have visited a lot!). Unfortunately, taking pictures was not allowed there. I was completely mesmerized by a statue of Death — so hauntingly realistic in its expression that I was genuinely afraid to approach it. Whatever century it was made in, it felt alive. Life, please, take me back there so I can stare with awe once again! By the way, the museum was completely empty, so I am really happy to introduce to you this gem hidden in the plain sight.
If you want to go to Gaudí’s Casa Botines, please do me a favour and book tickets in advance! I will not spoil your experience with pictures, but if you are a fan of Gaudí just like I am- visit it.
Leon is also quite a good place for shopping- I had a blast in window shopping and Zara was just like a fashion museum here. I bought sandals with kitten heels in local shop (couldn’t help myself, for a moment Elena-pilgrim-culture-lover turned into a woman-who-desperately-needs-shopping), packed them in the side pocket of my backpack (so heels were hanging out), and was anticipating looks of pilgrims on the Camino tomorrow.
In the afternoon, I had a walk to Quevedo Park, crossing the medieval bridge that leads to it, and met this handsome peacock who started to perform his ritual dances right in front of me, preventing me from leaving the bench for another 20 minutes.
After I was released, I had a short walk to the Basilica de San Isidoro- another gem of this city. Photography is strictly prohibited here as well, so I enjoyed the artworks (the Romanesque frescoes and the 12th-century manuscripts) without worrying about taking picture of each of them. I was unpleasantly surprised to see a man touching ancient books just next to the relevant sign. The employee there almost had a heart attack, and so did I. Unfortunately, common sense is not common logic for some people.
In the evening, I had a walk enjoying the local vibe, watching people sit in cafes enjoying their dinner and drinks or having a walk with their families and dogs.
Next stop: the road to Astorga – with kitten heels safely packed and a peacock encounter I will never forget.
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