I don't know about you...

But I turned 22 in León! The whole day was a pageant of people trying to make me feel special and loved, and every minute was a real, true joy that I know I'll remember the rest of my life.

      Lauren and I began the day at Churreria Paris, a total dive not far from our hotel with fairly excellent churros (served with sugar packets) and old Spanish men ordering shots with their coffees.

 From there, we took the quick habitual tour of the city's farmacia offerings for compression socks, bug spray, cold medicine. The essentials. Then to the pilgrim's office for new credentials, since we will definitely run out of room on our French ones before he end. On the way there we passed the Gaudi building in a neo-Gothic style. 

Next--the cathedral! 

My first impression of León Cathedral is that it is trying to be very French. It's shooting for High French gothic in its 3 part walls, huge windows, and height. It's has a slightly funny, compact look because it's not very long. Again, like in Burgos, it looks a little clunky, a little hesitant with the buttressing technology. Built in about 50 years, the whole thing has an architectural regularity that makes it in some aspects harmonious.the best thing is it's amazing collection of medieval stained glass, the 2nd best repository after Chartres (so said the audio tour). The windows were a marvel though the eschatological scheme was not nearly so complex as at Chartres. 

(They never look that great in pictures, do they?)

Weird things about it: it won't stand up. They've have some big problems keeping the thing up especially after trying to put a baroque dome over the crossing that nearly broke the nave. Though the audio guide assured me that the problems have been resolved since its removal and the reconstruction of part of the roof of the right transept, there were huge permanent steel scaffolding keeping the nave from crumbling. Also, the beautiful, carved wooden choir has been put in the middle of the nave with the most hideous Renaissance choir possibly in existence breaking up the church. It makes the whole space awkward. Interesting, though, right? I had a lot of fun with it. 

        When we left the church, we had pizza in the square and ran into a lot of pilgrim friends including Fabio and Ali and Corralife (sp? Norwegian name--hilarious man who fell in love and quit his camino to follow her to Madrid). Ali gave me band-aids and bubbles for my birthday!! Such a sweet and touching gift from a fellow pilgrim and fast friend! 

We saw Sarah our Australian friend and absolutely the only worthwhile thing that happened to us in that hell hole Hornillos, and nailed her down to go out with us for tapas later to celebrate my birthday and, as it happens, her 40th day of walking!

After a nice, luxurious siesta in our hotel room, Lauren and I made an expedition to Holy Cow gelateria where she treated me to really excellent birthday gelato! Then I popped over to the San Isodoro Panteon Museo to take a look at their good--though strangely arranged--collection of medieval treasures including a series of Romanesque frescoes that were like a manuscript on the ceiling. Amazing and not like anything else!

We had a great time going out for tapas with Sarah, later meeting Fabio and Ali. Drinks and great friends and a wonderful birthday!! When we got back, mama had surprised me with a bottle of birthday wine. It was too late to have much of it, so I filled one of my water bottles and took it for the next day! #truepilgrim Best wine of the trip by far and a birthday to remember.