Where am I? León
How far did I walk today? 12km / 7.5 miles (plus tourism)

I was rather lazy this morning for some reason. I did not start my short walk until 7:30, and when I checked into my hotel around 11, I went back to bed for 2.5 hours. By the time I woke up, the city was shutting down for siesta, but I ran into a group of friends I met back in Santo Domingo.

We found a little restaurant in the cathedral plaza for lunch, but we were all surprised by how far the pilgrim’s menu stretched here. My first course was three meat filled cannolis, with an amazing cheese sauce. Then, the entree was a slab of grilled veal that had to approach 20 oz. It was huge, but more importantly, it was delicious. Afterwards, they brought out cheesecake with a scoop of ice cream. Best €15 meal in memory!

I had good company as well – two Brits, one Swiss woman, a Spaniard, and a Canadian. The Canadian and I were comparing how much more the experience would cost on our side of the pond.

She then asked why we don’t live in Europe, but I had an easy answer – plumbing. It’s one of those things that we take for granted. Sure, they have plumbing here, but everywhere I’ve ever stayed overseas had an issue with water pressure, water temperature, or flushing issues. Also, they don’t believe in shower curtains here. I just don’t get it. Other than that though, I can understand why one would become an expatriot here.

Somehow the conversation ventured to the whole concept of a “prom.” The Spaniard asked if Americans really make as big a deal about it as they do in movies. One guy from Britain said he couldn’t understand why people care about it. I told him I mostly agree, then had to admit I’m responsible for planning our school’s prom next year.

Afterwards, I went in the cathedral and San Isidoro. The cathedral was much more subdued than Burgos, but had a lot of interesting history. It was built in 50 years (which sounds slow, but is light speed as far as gothic cathedrals go) when the town only had 5,000 residents. It nearly collapsed in the 1850’s, and needed a major overhaul.

I stopped back to the hotel room to do laundry and make some calls. (Happy Birthday to my brothers Steve and Brian!) I went out again in the evening just to see a little more of the city. I didn’t need a full dinner after the massive lunch, but I found a cool Irish pub in one of the plazas.

León is the last big city before Santiago. It also marks the end of the “Meseta.” It gets mixed reviews from others who have made the trek, so here’s my two cents. I liked the solitude and flat nature of the Meseta. However, the long stretches between towns and water fountains do pose challenges. Some say it’s boring, but I love being out in the farmland, so I don’t buy it. A few more shade trees would be nice, but I loved being able to see for miles in all directions. It’s definitely worth walking this portion.

I’m 192 miles from Santiago – it’s like walking home from State College at this point. I’ve got a ways to go, but it’s much less daunting now.