Leon Cathedral: Exterior

Our next stop, wending our way generally east and south toward Figueres and then Barcelona, and then California, was Leon, the capital of Castille y Leon. Historic country, and a city we really liked for the two days we were there. Despite the heat. Best, I thought, was the cathedral, a late but very respectable Gothic, saved from collapse in the 19th century and then renovated to emphasize its origins, getting rid of most of the interior Baroque crap. The presentation, signage, a good audio tour, even a glossy cathedral magazine (cathedral porn?), only added to a great visit.

West facade

Closer up; not huge, but good sized

Nice, appropriately lurid Judgement

Thus

Even in the archivolts

Not so many funny faces in the Gothic world

Conehead: were they Goths?

Another tympanum (the third was a Mary tympanum)

Important Nativity

The whole was set apart in a large city square, large enough
to appreciate the majesty, the immensity, the centrality, etc.

The structure

And the flamboyant bits; it was even better on the inside

Astorga: Camino Museum

Tying still more things together: within the Gaudi Palacio was a museum of the Camino Santiago as well as a museum of the many Roman bits in the area. We were enthralled.

Camino triptych bit

"According to the guidebook, the Pilgrim Special at the
Trinity Club is only 7 dineros"

"Yeah, but they only serve lamb"

Roman bit

Pre-Roman bits

Unhelpful model

Somebody molested it

Roman roads

Tell me this is not Celtic and we are not talking about a North
Atlantic culture

Very old capital

Arab coins: "the South shall rise again"

One of the most interesting capitals yet...wow...triple dog wow!

Medieval sarcophogus

More

"I'm sorry, you only had one stamp for day 37, so you'll have
to start over again"

All roads in Spain converge on Santiago

Working on hand-enlargement therapy course
from Trump University

St. James Matamoros, killing Moors thousands at a time

Thus

Really tied everything together...

Astorga: Gaudi Palacio

We decided not to wait on the mass, the procession, etc., despite the inevitable mirth. It was hot. We proceeded on to the Gaudi Palacio, a building whose design he worked on for a time. It was to be an episcopal palace, although clearly this was at the end of the time when the princes of the church lived like princes. Gaudi purists will not find the building attractive, although there are hints and teasers throughout of what was to come. I found it more reminiscent of the crypt at Colonia Guell. But this was still a time of architecture in crisis, not knowing which way to go: the Palacio Gaudi in Astorga was neo-Medieval at a time where everything was neo-this or neo-that. Later, Gaudi showed the way out. Only it was a dead-end. A beautiful and historic dead-end.

Tying things together: when Hernan Cortes returned to
Spain in 1528, he brought with him something called
"cacao"; and he brought it to Astorga, from which
chocolate then spread throughout Europe and the world

We knew of this from our cacao workshop in Arequipa, Peru, back in March,
and although we did not do the Chocolate Museum in Astorga, we did buy a
bit of the good stuff... 

Entrance to the palacio

Helpful plans

All in tile

"Take that, infidel tourist pig-dog"

Cathedra, as in ex cathedra

In the crypt; neo-Moorish?

Gaudi restaurant, across the street

Gaudi hardware store: he would have been so proud