10/21/2019, 12:00
After 465km (about 290 miles), we’ve taken another rest day in León, Spain. Yesterday, Fr. Tony and I took the bus the last 10 miles into León because we were sick and tired of being wet and tired. The rain appears to have abated for now and the weather forecast for the rest of the month calls for only one day of rain and highs in the 50s with lows down to 40. But that reasonably positive forecast didn’t stop us from buying more appropriate gear (rain pants for me and rain pants, shoes, sock liners and daypack for Fr. Tony) while we’re in León.
This morning, Kate (USA), who just rejoined us, and I took an hour this morning to visit Casa Botines, a building designed by Antonio Gaudí, the Catalonian Spanish architect (1852-1926) who is most famous for his design of the Sagrada Família (Holy Family) church in Barcelona. Casa Botines is now a museum dedicated to telling Gaudi’s life story and also highlighting Spanish art.
10/21/2019, 21:00
Another mini-reunion of our Camino family: This evening, Fr. Tony, Charlotte (UK), Kate (USA) and Urgita (Lithuania) and I toured the Santa María de León Cathedral, also known as the House of Light. Essentially built in just 50 years during the 13th century, this cathedral, like its sister predecessor, the Cathedral in Burgos which we saw just a few days ago, follows the layout of the Reims Cathedral in the Gothic style.
It is best known for its stained glass windows. With almost 20,000 square feet of surface, most of it containing the original windows, it is one of the most extensive and best preserved collections of medieval stained glass in Europe.
When in this cathedral, it is very easy to understand how architecture and art can help us focus our minds on God and his creation; similar to the way Mary and I feel when we are in our own beautiful Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Kansas City.
Jim Olshefski