Leon Cathedral.

As I set out from Mansilla de las Mulas at sunrise El Camino

paralleled a road for a few kilometers before coming to

Villarente. Here I had to ask for directions at one point just

before the historic bridge Puente de Villarente and entering the

town which seemed rather ordinary but, I am happy to report, had a

bar that was open and also pastries. Naturally I took advantage of

the situation and stopped for cafe and a pastry. The hosts were

very welcoming and the bar was clean and inviting with nice little

round tables. I was the only patron. As I continued on, I felt

better and I must admit I don't remember very much about this

stretch until I came to the top of a hill on a highway overlooking

Leon. This was all highway walking which is very unpleasant.

Entering Leon, like most large cities, is not pretty, with an

industrial or commercial section that it is necessary to walk

through before entering the city. As I started down the long hill,

Leon proper was still several kilometers in the distance, one of

the participants in last night's ritual passed me. We said a

polite hola as he passed. This young man had the most unusual and

amusing walk I have ever seen. He would be a candidate for Monte

Python's Bureau of Funny Walks for sure. The key to his extreme

individuality was the way he swung his arms with added little

jiggles at the end of each stroke.

Leon Cathedral.

After several minutes of walking down the long hill past the huge

and slick corporate headquarters of banks and other wealthy

enterprises, I suddenly and without warning, experienced

excruciating pain in my right shin. It was so sudden and intense

that I thought something had snapped and I had to stop. Nothing

like this had ever happened to me before, so naturally, I was

quite concerned, not to mention feeling great pain. After standing

still for a minute, I continued very slowly, with each step an

ordeal. I had to take very small steps and progress was quite

slow. I knew that I would never make Santiago de Compostela in

this condition. In fact, I wondered if I would even make it the

kilometer or so to where the city proper started. Eventually I was

able to make it into the city and I knew that my best hope was to

find a bandage for my aching tendon. On the way down the hill I

noticed a large mall or shopping center not too far from where I

was and I headed for it thinking that there would be a store with

first aid supplies. When I reached the store, which was a huge

place, I asked for bandages as best I could in my nonexistent

Spanish, and finally, once I got the idea across, a manager very

graciously escorted me into the private area where they had

medical supplies and bandaged up my leg. She gave me some rubbing

ointment and aspirin and sent me on my way. I felt a bit better,

but still limped like a cripple, which is exactly what I was.

Outside the store there were several taxis and I limped over to

one and asked him to take me to the cathedral. In my pronunciation

of the the word "cathedral," my emphasis was on the English

syllable which is the second one. Consequently, all I got from the

taxi driver was a blank stare, and he drove away with another

passenger. I tried a second driver and got the same blank stare.

Leon Cathedral.

In desperation, I just kept repeating the word cathedral, and

luckily, by pure accident, I managed to pronounce it in a way that

he understood. He immediately spoke the word properly, with the

emphasis on the last syllable, and I gratefully repeated it

several times as we placed my backpack in the trunk of the taxi

and got into the passenger seat grateful for a temporary solution.

We drove off and before too long, after winding up and down side

streets, arrived at the cathedral. Seeing the magnificent

structure for the first time was breathtaking. It sits in back in

the center of a large open square on top of a hill. Leon Cathedral

is commanding. After paying my fair, I hobbled into a bar on the

edge of the square and ordered a brandy and cafe solo. Now I was

feeling slightly better and briefly visited the cathedral before

going to an adjacent building along the side of the square in

search of a stamp for my pilgrim's credentials. At long last,

after walking through several long corridors, I came to a room

where an official sat behind a desk and cheerfully stamped my

pilgrims passport and directed me to the refugio. The refugio was

apparently many city blocks away which concerned me considering my

condition, but off I went, asking for new directions every so

often. Just as I was thinking that I had become terribly lost, I

entered a small square lined with bars filled with tourists and

pilgrims. As I passed one bar with tables outside, there sat a

young woman who I recognized from Mansilla having drinks with a

friend. We greeted each other warmly and she introduced me to her

friend, Win. Then she directed me to the refugio which was located

in building owned by the Dominicans, adjacent to their monastery,

and which was very close-by. Slowly I made my way to it and

checked in.

Ancient Corner, Leon.

This refugio was actually the courtyard and gymnasium of a school.

The gym was a large open space which doubled as a playing court

and auditorium, since there was a stage at one end. There were

showers and toilet facilities and several large piles of

mattresses in one corner. Quite interesting actually, provided you

didn't want privacy of any kind. I pulled down a mattress and

claimed a corner of the gym as my space before taking a shower and

washing my socks. I was told that the doctor was scheduled to

visit later at 10:00 P.M. and that all pilgrims were to attend the

chanting held in the chapel next door at 7:00. As it is only 13 km

from Mansilla de las Mulas, I arrived in Leon early at about 11:00

A.M., and after settling into the refugio, I went to have lunch at

3:30. Naturally, I did not want to walk far, so I went back to the

busy little square where I ran into the pilgrims from Mansilla.

Here I ran into Alexandro, the biologist, and his friend and we

ate together at a restaurant at one end of the square. I had a

wonderful lunch consisting of a large plate of spaghetti, filet of

beef, salad, ice cream, wine and coffee for 1300 pts. We discussed

the Basques, bull fighting, and the San Fermin festival (lay down

if you fall - don't get up and run since it is better to be

trampled by bulls than gored by them). After lunch I returned to

the refugio gymnasium and napped for awhile before other pilgrims

woke me. While I sat in the courtyard writing, Elizabeth, a young

American girl who taught at the Montessori school in St. Louis

introduced herself to me. I had noticed her earlier talking and

giggling with her companion who was Spanish. She told me that she

was visiting Italy when, on a whim, she decided to travel to

Barcelona and while there heard about the pilgrimage and simply

decided on the spot to begin. They were traveling at an

accelerated pace, up to 50 km a day, and still had plenty of

energy. I couldn't help but envy the energy and free spirit she

embodied.

At 7:00 in the small lavish chapel the incense is lit and about 25

nuns file in and begin their singing and chants. It was a truly

fine experience and I tried to allow the music wash over me and

relax into it with only moderate success. Afterwards, I went back

up the hill to the cathedral and sat at one of the tables of a

cafe where I could see the cathedral and watch the paseo. The

cathedral was beautifully lit and the citizens of Leon were

equally impressive as they strolled past, the young and old,

entire families, groups of friends - really quite extraordinary

and a delightful end to a trying day. Back at the refugio, I met

with the doctor who was very kind and patient. She massaged my leg

and gave me bandages and an anti-inflammatory pill which didn't

seem to make much difference. While I would be allowed to stay

another night at the refugio, I really didn't want to, though I

liked Leon quite a bit. I would simply have to wait until tomorrow

to find out if I would be able to continue to travel or not.

Ancient Corner 2, Leon.