Trips

Sun., 10/23/16 – Leon
        Leon is known for its 13th c. Cathedral. The façade of the cathedral has two spires, each different and a replica of the “White Virgin” (de Santa Maria de Leon) – the original is in the nave so as to not deteriorate any further.  Above the black walnut doors is a medieval version of the last judgment.  On the right the sinners going to hell are being put in vats of boiling water or being eaten alive.  On the left there is a queue of those entering Paradise and they are all kings, bishops, and friars.
            There are only eight small chapels inside and the organ has 4344 pipes, some horizontal.  The 80 choir chairs are carved black walnut.  The glory of this church is the 14th to 17th c. stained glass windows made in Leon by French artists. Old Testament scenes are on the North, dark side, and New Testament pictures are on the South and are well lit by the sun and made of brighter glass.  They are very beautiful. 

Leon City Hall	Cat on the roof
Street scene	Doors of the Cathedral de Santa Maria de Leon
Cathedral de Santa Maria de Leon - Last Judgement	Cathedral de Santa Maria de Leon - Last Judgement
Cathedral de Santa Maria de Leon	Cathedral de Santa Maria de Leon
Cathedral de Santa Maria de Leon	Cathedral de Santa Maria de Leon
Cathedral de Santa Maria de Leon	Cathedral de Santa Maria de Leon
Cathedral de Santa Maria de Leon	An 1893 palace (Casa Bovines) designed by Antonio Gaudi is in the city center.  There is a statue of Gaudi sitting on a bench in front of it.  The building is a unique style that only Gaudi delivered.  There is a St. George stepping on a crocodile/dragon above the entry to the building.         We looked at a section of Roman walls and then entered the Church of San Isidoro whose seminary is now a hotel.  San Isidoro was a writer of Christian theology and his bones are in the altar reliquary.  He is the patron saint of the university and of the internet!         We went into the museum (no photos) and looked at well-preserved frescoes on the ceiling - referred to in Spain as the “Sistine Chapel of Romanesque Art.”  The tombs of 84 people – priests, etc. – are there in the church.  Napoleon’s Army opened the tombs and mixed all of the bones, but DNA tests have sorted them and they have been re-entombed.
	Casa Bovines - Gaudi-designed, neo-gothic palace
	Statue of Antoni Gaudi
Old city wall	Way of St. James symbol
Basilica of San Isidoro	Basilica of San Isidoro
Breast Cancer run was in progress while we were at the Basilica of San Isidoro	Museum of the Basilica of San Isidoro
Basilica of San Isidoro - Cloisters	Footprint representing Roman ruins beneath
We had a little time off and then Judith and Elias, the driver, took 8 of us to Astorga.  It is a small town 47 km from Leon with another Gaudi building, some Roman ruins, and is a capital of chocolate.  It is at the crossroads of the Way of St. James and the Silk Road.              The Gaudi building was an Episcopal Palace and has nice curved lines.  It was closed and had scaffolds over much of the exterior but we could see it was another one of a kind architectural statement.             The Roman ruins were the remains of a bath preserved under a glass roof.  The mosaic floor of one pool was almost intact.             Chocolate beans were brought to Spain from Mexico.  The kings and royalty kept the recipe for making a chocolate drink secret for 100 years.  Since then, we all can enjoy it. We stopped in a shop and bought some of their special brand.  We tried the orange chocolate.  It is orange in color and tastes like an orange dipped in chocolate.  Judith then treated us to the royal chocolate drink at the old fashioned Gaudi Restaurant.  The drink is very thick and is served with strips of moist cake that is dipped into the chocolate - like eating a fondue.  It was delicious.
	Antoni Gaudi’s Episcopal Palace
Antoni Gaudi’s Episcopal Palace	Antoni Gaudi’s Episcopal Palace
Antoni Gaudi’s Episcopal Palace	Cathedral de Santa Maria de Astorga
Exposed wall of an old building	Astorga - City Hall
Astorga - City Hall	Ruins of Roman Thermal Baths
Ruins of Roman Thermal Baths	Pilgrim with a shell
Chocolate store	Unique tree repair
Monument to the defenders of the city	Chocolate store
Restaurant Gaudi	Restaurant Gaudi
Restaurant Gaudi - Hot chocolate and cake	Cathedral de Santa Maria de Astorga
Cathedral de Santa Maria de Astorga	We had lunch and dinner on our own and found a grocery to buy fresh potato chips and a packaged salad for lunch and ate sandwiches from breakfast for dinner.  We are very frugal and our stomachs appreciate it!

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