Author: Thom

The city of León is not named, as is commonly supposed, for the lion that graces its flag and arms. That lion is applied to the city after the fact. No, León was originally a Roman town called Legio, after the Roman legion stationed there from AD 74 to the end of the 4th century: Legio VII Gemina. There are […]

The rain continued into the next day, when we left the lovely city of León. We headed for the bus terminal rather than the Camino route, however, as we still had some kilometers to make up from battling flood and injury. I literally have no idea what this thing is. A Tardis perhaps? Date: 20 April 2016 Place: León (Castilla […]

This is the plaza of the Basílica de San Isidoro in León. Unlike where I live, it’s the locals who have the umbrellas and the visitors who don’t. As I type this, almost two years later, I can hear the rain on my window. Date: 19 April 2016 Place: León (Castilla y León, Spain)

This is the magnificent high altar of the Basílica de San Isidoro in León. You can see the casket of the saint beneath the tabernacle and the stunning three-story-high reredos. That brilliant light in the center is the monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament – Christ Himself – exposed to the faithful for adoration. Date: 19 April 2016 Place: León (Castilla […]

The Basílica de San Isidoro in León is the resting place of Saint Isidore of Seville. This great saint was the most celebrated academic and theologian of Visigothic Spain. After the Moslem invasions, the saint’s body was taken north to safety in León. Due to the continuing Islamic attacks, the church had to be rebuilt a number of times. It […]

Just across the very narrow street from Peggy Sue’s is this piece of… art? advertising? craziness? It’s been there for at least three years because I saw it in 2013 as well. I’ve no idea what it is or what it’s for, and nobody I talked to seemed to know, either. León definitely has its wacky side. Date: 19 April […]

This kitschy American diner in León is down a particularly busy side street narrower than the alley behind my house in Tacoma. It’s about halfway between the cathedral and the Benedictine Convent which is the most popular albergue in the city. We wanted to try this place, to see what passed for American food in Spain, but the continuing call […]

For the last of my photos of the beautiful León Cathedral, a long shot down one side of the Cathedral cloister. I love cloisters, with their garden of Eden symbolism and their typically formal layout and design. I rather wish our parish church had one. A thought just hit me – I wonder if the statues set up here are […]

This polychrome statue of Our Lady of Consolation resides in the Cathedral of León. It has recently undergone restoration work, and when you go there you can see an exhibit with before, during, and after photos. Nothing compares to the actual statue of course. I can’t entirely explain the feeling of peace that came over me when I prayed here. […]

For Christmas, I give you one of the more amazing pieces of art in the Cathedral in León. It is in a niche near the sanctuary. Though stripped of its altar, this is part of the former high altar in the cathedral, before it was replaced with an Ikea table and a much more sedate reredos. I can only hope […]