November 22nd
After checking out of our hotel in Porto, we headed north for what was supposed to be a 3 and a half hour drive to our next stop, Leon, Spain, where we planned to stay as a mid-way point between Portugal and our desired destination of Altamira. After a wonderful sand stop at the beach in Porto we got out of the city and got on the motorway- just in time to be behind two accidents that turned our drive into one that was 5 hours. So it was in near darkness that we arrived at our hotel a ways out of Leon, hungry and butt-sore. After checking in we drove into town for some dinner and to see the gothic church. Again, Spain is a challenge for us because dinner is never ready when we are hungry so the only place we found was a (non-smoking!) coffee shop filled with little old ladies drinking tea and coffee and eating their afternoon snacks at 6 pm. We managed to order a pizza and while we were waiting Eilidh and I snuck out to candy shop across the street to pick up a birthday present for Bella. The candy shop had the craziest smell when we walked in- sweet, yet sour, and we realized that in the midst of the candy baskets was a huge pickle display with about twenty different types of pickles. We managed to find a hello kitty purse for Bella (not filled with pickles) and we headed back to our early Spanish dinner. After dinner we marveled at the amazing Santa Maria Leon Cathedral which is a fabulous example of the transition from Romanesque to Gothic as the base (built in the 13th century) is typical Romanesque (stern elongated saints and rounded arches) and the top (built a couple hundred of years later) soars confidently skyward with its elaborate spirals and pointed arches (which is the French innovation that allowed church architects to build higher buildings).
the view from our hotel room
dark- but not time for dinner.
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