A small, fast night took us hold, though more that what we needed, and we set loose again. The magnificence of Picos was still on my mind; yet I could not stay longer there. The call of the wild was not strong enough… no worries though, as it will be not long the next call.
Tiredness was amongst us, but we carried on. Even though our backs, constrained for a majority of the time, stuck to the shape of the seat, shouted for a long walk, we carried on.
The sun was having his tea break when we go to the city of the lion. Open, wide and ancient were my first impressions about Leon, a city with more than a lot of history. Even before talking about Leon, as a city, I want to tell you a story.
When I was 17, on my second year of high school we planned a trip, alongside Philosophy. This school trip was meant for us to come, spend 2 days having a good time with our mates and, at the same time, discover a little more about Leon and the arts that there exists. There was a bit of a controversy when not all of the people where able to go to Leon but in the end I got chosen to be part of that experience.
However, something big came that made it impossible for me to attend it. My alarm didn't rang and when supposed to be at school, my body still rested on the comfort of the bed. I was awaken by a friend and, when realized about the circumstanced, make my way as fast as possible to try to make it. Unfortunately, the teachers were too impatient and started the way without me. You now may think of what I am about to say as it karma maybe but, because there was a scheduled program and they wanted to arrive early at Leon to visit MUSAC (Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Castilla y Leon) and the coach left at the arranged, without me, when at Leon, everyone had to wait one hour for the museum to open, more than enough time to join them.
Anyway, I am not here to talk about the amazing trip friends of mine had and I didn't because even though I wanted to have been there with them, I knew someday I would come here. And the time has come.
The colours of the city: warm and vibrant. Happy, emotional casts that made me feel very comfortable there. Plus, the stories of the past trip gave an extra punch, as I tried to recreate and imagine whereabouts and how they were, either through the pictures, histories or videos that came to me.
Enough story, though. As we got inside Leon's cathedral, after the first staggering impression about the delicacy and detailed ornamentation of it, it was the people, and how they fancied looking up. Almost every people was starring up, as if trying to find something. And as you may have noticed already, they had some unusually big phones. There were nothing more, nothing less, than audio guides, like the ones you get on museums (sometimes) to help you understanding what was and why was made that way. Funny to see, educative to listen. I just hoped that the voice of the phone was one of an old, story telling man... Oh, how lovely would be to walk around and listen to the many tales behind such amazing architectural constructions!
From the back of the cathedral, a 5 minute walk separated us from the hostel we stayed at. Although in the very heart of Leon, this one revealed itself very cosy, warm (like the city) and cheap! After this first walk about, we picked up our things and head to the rooms. First, to confirm a room and avoid hours of search. Secondly, to take a nice, cold summer shower, the thing to do when the heat rises up. And being in the city of the spanish lion, how could such city not be warm?
Because we didn't adventure ourselves on these lands to stay at the hostels, we left again, before sunset to see the warmest colour cast shinning on an indeed warm city. People look friendly, smooth and vibrant, yet very to themselves, making it a rather comfortable city to walk around for, and get lost.
Right before the sun faded away, we were at the very point where the river breaks through the city. Here, I looked at a statue that, hand held up in the hair, points towards the light; also to the way we are meant to go next.
And for now, we stay her...
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