Day 20 - Mansilla to Leon - 19 km

Morning:
I am not in a good mood this morning! There was a lady in the bunk above me who snored so loudly she made the who bed vibrate. It was like a freight train going through the room all night. I used earplugs and even covered my head with my arm, but this sound would not stop. The room was very hot and smelly because the French ladies would not open the window. It was very early when the giant German guy turned on the light and proceeded to do about 100 push-ups. Tonight I'm getting a hotel!

Everyone kept telling me that I should get a bus into Leon. Apparently it is not a nice walk into the busy city. I started walking since it seemed silly to wait around Mansilla for a bus. Just yesterday I was discussing with someone how nice it was that Spain had not sold themselves out to that major fast food chain. Then, as I walked along the path, I saw garbage with golden arches on it. I was definitely getting closer to the big city. It was about 10 degrees and quite damp and I started getting a chill that went right through me. After walking 6 km I noticed a group of pilgrims waiting for the Leon bus. Nobody had to ask me twice.

The Parador in Leon. My home for tonight :) This was originally a monastery founded in the 12th Century to provide lodging for pilgrims. The current building was contracted in the 16th century for the friars and the monks. Religion and politics were pretty much one and the same back then. In this room they held meetings about serious matters and often assigned sentencing. There was also a room in the cellar called the coal room, where punishments were given. In the 17th century it was a prison and then taken over by the military during the Spanish Civil War. If the walls could talk!

Afternoon:
The 1st thing on the agenda for this afternoon was a nap! I really needed to catch up on sleep and besides, in Spain everyone sleeps in the afternoon. I then gave myself a tour of the city, including the Cathedral which is well known for it's stained glass. The funny thing about the Cathedral was there was one wedding booked after another, but the tourist kept going through the church and taking pictures, even during the weddings. There were so many weddings today that they were practically lined up outside and I saw brides everywhere.

While I was touring around the city I bumped into many pilgrims who I had spent time with in other towns. Eight of us met at the Cathedral at 7:00 and we found a restaurant in a little plaza. By 9:00 the streets were packed with people and there were traveling minstrels walking through the streets, entertaining the crowds. In this picture there's me, Laura, Mary, Morton, Declan, Joe, Peter, and Gay. Great night with good friends!

And below are Declan and Joe who didn't quite make it in the 1st picture. I bump into Declan everywhere I go pretty much and Joe is Mary's husband, from North Bay Ontario.