More León

We’re feeling extra tender today from a night of roasting low and slow but still able to find the energy for a relaxed day out on the town. Except for Arandaño Joe, that is, who still has a few toxins he wants to sweat out.

There is a farmer’s market in the square out front of our apartment, which is a perfect stop for some highly-treasured fresh fruit.

That is followed up with a café con leche, slowly for a change, and not simply thrown back in a rush to get on the trail.

From there we just wander. Through the old city. Past some Roman ruins. Through the vibrant downtown core. Eventually we find ourselves by the Convent of San Marcos, part of which has been converted to a luxury hotel that, after a couple of weeks sleeping in albergues, has one of us drooling.

The rest of the building is still accessible to humble pilgrims so we have to check it out.

Just when it seems the day can’t get any better…

That’s the look of pure happiness, and it tears me up inside having to break the news that it isn’t like the ball pit at Chuck E. Cheese and no, you can’t swim in the chips.

By this point, Joey has finished his cleanse so we head off to pick up our mode of transportation for the next few days. Of course, there is nowhere to lock them up overnight so the first order of businesses is hauling them up 5 flights of narrow stairs and stashing them in a tiny attic/penthouse. Not a particularly encouraging start.

After some dinner it is actually dark outside, something we haven’t seen for a very long time. It stays light here until well past 10:00 pm and to make our early starts, my bedtime is normally well before that (right after Matlock).

It has been a nice break having no plan and nowhere that we needed to be. We like León and are glad we took a bit of extra time here. There is still is still a lot of meat left on the camino bone though (almost 200 miles) so we know we need to get moving.