Day 16 (5/27) Carrion de los Condes to Leon

I'm writing this post 4 days into the future, but I am also writing it from the comfort of a laptop, so while this post will probably be superficial and undetailed, it will at least have good formatting and minimal spelling errors.

If I recall correctly, we left CdC pretty early to avoid the heat and to maximize time in Leon, one of the larger cities we visit on the Camino. 

As I'm typing this, I'm like, nope, nope, nope. We got in late ~3PM because we only had an hour to get settled/showered before our cathedral tour. The walk itself, I recall, was pretty industrial. The first stretch was pretty (long grasses and wildflowers) but followed by lots of flat, paved surfaces next to car dealerships. Jeff, Matt, and I walked together and enjoyed good company while admiring the car dealerships. In the future, this would be a walk I'd recommend skipping.

We got into Leon, checked into a cute albergue (Hostel Palacio Jabalquinto), which was a first for me as the last time we were in Leon (2024), it was a quick lunch stopover without an overnight stay. 

The cathedral tour was great, as usual (I'll add photos later). Hara, our tour guide, is trained in the ability to restore or repair stained glass, and taught us the difference between the two. I don't entirely remember the specifics of her description, but according to the internet:

Stained glass restoration involves the complete off-site disassembly, cleaning, and structural rebuilding of a historic window using new lead and support frameworks. In contrast, a repair (often what people mean when contrasting the two) addresses minor, isolated damage while the window remains structurally sound in its frame. (NPS)

Hara had something to say about an additional panel (I think?) behind restored panels that does something different to the light that filters through the window. For future tours, Hara gave us all headsets, and as someone with hearing loss, it was also a game changer.

After the tour, we tapas hopped from cafe to cafe while I waited for Cory's train to arrive. He got in around 9 and we met the faculty at Marcela Brasa y Vinos for dinner before enjoying a nightcap in the cathedral plaza. Solid day.