León

 Hello!

 After a rushed but generally enjoyable trip to Segovia and La Granja I embarked on the second half of my big weekend of excursions. This would be a visit to León in the north of Spain and then to Zamora, which is halfway between León and Salamanca.

 I have very little memory of the journey there - I don't even remember stopping at a services which we must have done as it was such a long way. For me the adventure began when the coach pulled up at a fountain and we disembarked. From there it was a short walk into central León.

 We found the Cathedral and were keen to visit but it was temporarily closed.

 While we waited for it to open we mooched around the square which was full of lovely flowers and had a really nice vibe to it. I like Girona and León felt very similar despite being at the other end of northern Spain. I really would like to explore the North more: I've heard great things about San Sebastián and I did a project on Santander at sixth-form.

 We were let into the Cathedral and admired its beautiful, nature-inspired stained glass. It reminded me of a church I had visited in Galway. There has been a lot of Celtic influence in the north of Spain, of which this may be a result.

 We emerged and observed the intricate detailing on the front of the Cathedral.

 We then headed through the streets to our next destination, the Basilica of San Isidoro.

 We arrived at the Basilica.

 When I would decide to go on the course excursions I generally wouldn't read about their landmarks beforehand so that I could be surprised. I knew nothing about the Basilica. There were signs hyping some chalice. We were told we weren't allowed to take photos and then led up a very narrow staircase which made me feel quite claustrophobic. 

 At the top was a room full of historical artefacts. They were interesting but there were a lot of people and it was hard to see the items properly. We then moved to a small, dark, square-ish room which held only a chalice on a podium, in a spotlight. We knew it must be something special. It was really stunning, with lots of chunky jewels of different colours. 

 Everybody crowded in and then our guide told us that the chalice, known as the Chalice of Doña Urraca after the princess who owned it at one point, is widely believed to be the Holy Grail. 

 I was amazed. I had come to León with no idea that this might be there - I found the Holy Grail by complete accident. I'm not really religious but it's impossible not to get excited about an object of so much historical and cultural importance. Even if it isn't the Holy Grail it is a thing of real beauty and I'm very glad to have seen it.

 We saw some other rooms in the Basilica including a library and the Royal Pantheon, where several kings of León are buried. The whole place is very impressive but the Chalice is the main memory I'll take away from it. Back in Salamanca one day I was feeling down and I thought to myself, cheer up, you found the Holy Grail!

 After leaving the Basilica we were free to go and eat. I went back to the area near the Cathedral where I saw St George and his dragon (I assume). The dragon looked more like a crocodile to me.

 We didn't have much time so I chose one of the first cafés I saw. For a starter I had mushroom soup. It was very strong but not unpleasant.

 For a main I picked chicken and a prawn with chips. It's not something I would normally eat but there was a very limited choice. It was okay, nothing to write home about. The best part of the meal was the dessert which was cheesecake but I sadly didn't get a photo of it.

So many Palacios!

Calle Ancha (Wide Street), tactfully renamed from Calle del Generalísmo which it was previously named in honour of Franco

 We regrouped and headed back to the coach. León is one of the nicest places I've visited in Spain and had actually been in contention for my summer placement. Ultimately I enjoyed Salamanca and wouldn't change it but I would really like to spend more time in León in the future.

 Look out for my next blog post where you can share our final trip of the summer, to Zamora.

 Thanks for reading,

 Liz x