Before Christmas I left off my recap of our Camino in Burgos. Our train from Burgos was running late, so we didn’t get to Leon until after 6 pm. We were staying at Hotel Real Colegiata de San Isidoro, which was the monastery in the Real Colegiata de San Isidoro complex. The complex also includes the Basilica, a museum in the old royal palace, the Royal Pantheon and the Collegiate Library. We got settled and then set out to explore.

We decided to visit Casa Botines, a Gaudi building, as it was open late and would fill in our time until our 8:30 pm dinner reservation. The building was commissioned in 1892 by two businessmen as a commercial and warehousing space for their textile business and spacious apartments on the floors above. It was built in neo-gothic style. Above the door is a statue of St George slaying a dragon. The building is surrounded by a moat that allows light and air into the basement. One innovation was replacing heavy load-bearing walls in the commercial space with slender cast-iron pillars, which provided a flexible, well-lit and ventilated space.

I’d booked dinner at a Marcela Tapas y Vinos. We had leeks and croquettes, followed by steak and rice, finishing with cheesecake. The food was fantastic, and I accompanied it with a glass of local red. Highly recommended!

The next morning we started out sightseeing at Leon Cathedral. The stained glass is stunning. I hired an audio guide and had a lovely time exploring the cathedral. Apart from the beautiful stained glass and the ornate altarpiece, there are many ornate chapels around the side with fabulous artwork. It was, once again, a lot. One of the chapels has a rare statue of the pregnant Mary. Depictions of Mary’s pregnancy lost favour during the Reformation, but there are a few along the Camino.

After visiting the Cathedral, we continued into the Cathedral museum housed in the Cathedral cloisters.

I decided we must have churros while in Spain so after visiting the Cathedral, we went to a chocolate shop for a decadent cup of hot chocolate and churros. It was a lovely break before we visited the Museo San Isadoro. The museum includes The Royal Panteon also known as the “Sistine Chapel of the Romanesque Art,” although I think that is a bit misleading. The ceiling paintings may have been very important for their time, but they didn’t have anywhere near the impact of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. Best to go without unrealistic expectations and enjoy the art for what it is. Photos were not allowed in the museum or Royal Panteon.

For dinner, we popped into a bar at tapas time and had some small plates. Then we went for a walk to the river, along the city walls, and into Plaza Mayor, where the buildings were lit up for Spain’s National Day. The streets and plazas were packed with everyone enjoying the public holiday and celebrations.

How many churches are too many? There were a lot on this trip! I’m happy that my photos have locations so I can work out which church is which. Do you find yourself checking the photo information to remind yourself which places were which when you travel?