I spent this Saturday in Leon; as I've said before Leon is famous for tapas and our entire plan for the day was to eat as much tapas whilst spending the least amount of money possible. To begin, we decided to visit the Hostal San Marcos which we never made it to last time, it's beside the river in Leon and (now I'm not too sure about this) I think it was the main hospital for the Camino de Santiago - which luckily none of us needed during the Camino!!
Two Pilgrims
Obviously you're allowed to take your shoes off at the end of a pilgrimage, so we totally didn't deserve the dirty looks we got back in '09!
This weekend I was off travelling again. This time on another ESN organised trip (you'd have thought I would have learned from the last one!) and on this occasion to Santiago de Compostela and A Coruna in Galicia. The shouts of "Vamos chicos" were just as irritating and this time involved SINGING. The little patience the students of Alfonso II had left me with was swiftly removed.
But anyway, no moaning. Santiago de Compostela was absolutely gorgeous and I think I remembered quite a lot about it from the Camino, although walking into the city this time was much more enjoyable when it didn't involve, rain, losing members of our group and teary phone conversations.... instead! We had coffee!
BLUE SKY! BLUE SKY! It was GREY for miles when we got there last time!!
I should mention. Most random encounter of Spain so far happened just before this picture... We were walking through the city and taking group photos - another tourist offered to take one of the group. After he did, he produced a flag, a blue flag with white diagonal stripes (yes a SALTIRE) and got us to pose with his friends. They claimed it was a Tenerife flag... I do not believe this. Someone was seriously messing with me on Saturday, after the flag incident whilst we took pictures of the Cathedral a bagpiper (cause they are all over Galicia and Asturias) started playing SCOTLAND THE BRAVE?!?!! What??! I would have started to do the Highland Fling if I knew how! Very, very, very, odd.
This (although a very baaaaaaaaad photo of me!) is from the wall of the University of Santiago de Compostela, the idea is that you stand in front of the tree and point behind you and it tells you what you should study. Mine came up with Philosophy.... don't think so.
Although it was the ESN guys who told us that so it could all be complete nonsense!
So after the city tour and a quick chill in the park we obviously went out. No climbing down the side of a mountain this time! There involved free tapas, free wine and I think at some point also bottles of vodka for us to use on the bar... Good night.
The next day, (cue - VAMOS CHICOS) we took the bus for an hour to the east to A Coruna, which is absolutely gorgeous. It also has the oldest working Lighthouse in the world.
It was very very very windy. Slightly windswept by the end of the day! The old town of A Coruna was gorgeous too but for some reason I have no photos of it... I do have a photo of Kate straddling an Octopus though so obviously my priorities were in order!
All in all a lovely trip to Galicia! Next weekend its back to Scotland for birthday parties and the weekend after I'm off to Madrid with Sarah! So no weekends in Oviedo this month!
Would be good if I'd been paid....
