Today was my first rest day, and it was really nice. It feels odd not to walk! We slept in today, waking up around 9:00. I finished up my blog post for yesterday in bed, then got up and started getting my bag packed to be ready to go at 10:00, since that was check out time. While I was waking up, Dan forgot his towel after his shower, which ended up being pretty hilarious. Just wanted to note that so I'll remember it when I read this again! Then, at 10:00, we all headed down to the lobby to figure out the plan.
Sam was in the lobby too, so the 6 of us talked about what we should do today. We figured we'd just leave our bags in the lockers at the albergue and then check out the sports store and get breakfast. Joe and Kate are staying in León for a few days to celebrate Joe's birthday, and they got an apartment, which they offered for us to stay at. Margaret and Sam are staying with them for the night, and my plan is to stay at the Benedictine Sisters Albergue, since it was highly recommended earlier in the trip.
The 6 of us went to the sports store and checked out their gear. They had a lot of toe socks, which are the one most invaluable piece of gear you could possibly have on the Camino. They're fantastic for blister prevention. Nearly everyone bought some, except for me since I already have a few pairs. Then, we went to a nearby cafe for breakfast. I got a cafe con leche that came with a little sponge cake. We sat and ate our breakfast, and talked about what else we could do today.
From there, Sam left to find a fishing license while Dan went to do his laundry. The rest of us 4 took a walk around the city. We just wandered around, checking out the main streets and window shopping for a time. It's so weird to see a modern city after spending weeks in small countryside towns. León is a very big city, and one of the biggest indicators of its growth is that it's full of young people. Children, teenagers, young adults and young families are everywhere. It made me realize just how few young people I've seen in those small towns we've been passing through.
Around 12, I decided to head back to the albergue to grab my bag and eat the sandwich I had made yesterday. While in the albergue, I ran into Claire, one of the Scottish ladies I'd walked with a while back. It was so nice to see her! She's gone ahead of her friends, who are about 3 days behind, to take a few days of rest in the city. I talked with her for a little bit and caught up. It was so nice to see her!
After talking with Claire, I left to head to the next albergue, the one run by the Benedictine Sisters. When I went to check in, they were elated! They said I'm their first pilgrim of the season. They were very kind and some even spoke English. They got me checked in and let me pick out a little hand made wooden souvenir with the Camino cross and yellow arrow on it. Definitely a good souvenir to remember the Camino!
Once I was all checked in, I spent a few minutes getting my bed together, then headed to the Cathedral. They were closing at 2:30, so I decided to come back at 4:00 so that I wouldn't have to rush. I then went to meet up with Dan, Margaret, Joe, and Kate, who had just finished touring the Museo de León. We wandered around until we found a place with churros and chocolate, and all shared a big plate of it. They talked about the cool art and artifacts they had seen in the museum, and I told them about the kind nuns at the albergue. Then, we went to the local large supermarket and I got groceries for the next few meals plus some things I'm running out of, like soap, toothpaste, and contact solution.
After shopping, it was about 3:30. I wanted to get to the cathedral, so I said goodbye to my friends and returned my groceries to the albergue before heading to the León Cathedral.
The León Cathedral, as I expected, was spectacular. I imagine it would be even more beautiful on a sunny day, since they had 1,800 square meters of stained glass, but it was still gorgeous even with cloudy weather. I paid the entrance fee, which was €7, and got the audio guide in English. I then wandered around the cathedral for the next hour, listening to the history behind the cathedral, descriptions of statues and pieces of art, and the design and restoration history.
The León Cathedral is a classic early gothic cathedral. It had been built on the ruins of an older style Romanesque cathedral. The Romanesque style was born after the fall of Rome, around the 800s, and the Gothic style was first introduced in the 1300s. The older Romanesque style involves full stone walls, necessary for supporting such a huge structure, which didn't allow for many windows or stained glass. But in the 1300s, it was discovered that it's enough to lay stone ribbing in the walls to support the structure, which allows for many large windows between the stone ribs. Thus, the Gothic style was created. The Catedral de León was one of the first Gothic cathedrals after the style was created, and was built by the town of León, then only containing 5,000 inhabitants. It's a miracle that it's still standing today, as the roofing, which is the most important piece of the cathedral for its stability, started to deteriorate and crack. It was discovered that there were many terrible errors in the design of the cathedral, and through a period of very risky and dangerous restoration, the cathedral was preserved and did not collapse. It was definitely a blessing to get to see it! The stained glass and art are apparently some of the finest in all of Europe.
After visiting the Cathedral, I checked out the Cathedral's museum as well. It had a lot of cool art and artifacts, and I was the only one inside. I prayed a rosary inside while checking out the art, which was peaceful.
I then went back to my albergue to get to the 7:00 Mass with the singing nuns! At the albergue, I found that Aya, the German girl, had just arrived. She camps many nights, and was behind by just a bit. The had walked 40km today to get here! She was going to Mass as well, so we walked over together. Margaret also joined us.
Mass was so beautiful! There were around 15 nuns, most of them older, and they invited us to sit with them. I also discovered what Tom had meant by "singing nuns". They insert the evening prayers into the Mass, which can be sung. So all throughout Mass, we got to listen to the beautiful singing of the nuns. Their voices were amazing, and it was a great experience. At the end of Mass, the priest also gave us a pilgrim's blessing. All the nuns were excited, since we're the first pilgrims of the season. It was a great experience!
After Mass, I called my friend Isaac (who informed me that he doesn't read my blog) and talked with him while eating dinner in the albergue kitchen. Then I wrote my blog for a bit and also talked with Aya a little. Around 8:30, I decided to hang out with the group for a little while before heading off to bed. I met them at the bar we had been at last night. It was Joe, Kate, Sam, Dan, Margaret, Yondue, Woody, and Ava. I had a great time! I had gotten Joe, Kate, Sam, and Dan each one of those wooden handmade souvenirs from the nuns. Joe asked me what Mikayla was like, and I got to talk about how amazing she is. Then Joe and Kate told us about their wedding and how fun it was. Yondue told us about his Portuguese girlfriend who he's doing long distance with, and also talked about being a persimmon farmer. It was a really fun time, and also our last night with Joe and Kate. They will be missed!
At 9:45, I headed back to my albergue, which closes at 10:00. I got ready for bed and then finished writing my blog. I had a really nice rest day, and it was definitely extremely beneficial for my feet. When you're walking 20+ kilometers every day, and don't get the 10 hours of sleep that are probably needed to fully recover, you start to rack up some fatigue and soreness. One full day of rest and no long distance walking really makes a difference. My blisters are all fading and my body feels great! I can't wait to continue on tomorrow and get out of the city, back into the country. We're heading into the mountains too, which will be beautiful. I'm so excited! I fell asleep thanking God for such a beautiful day and looking forward to what He has in store for me tomorrow.