Where's Shan Now?: Churches of Leon

This morning, the only thing on my mind was finding a panadería for some bread and finding a shady spot to eat and people watch. I had no idea what the filling was in the sugar-crusted bread that I pointed at and requested two of, I just hoped it wasn't icky. Caramel! Oh my god, it was this yummy, not too sweet, not too sticky caramel. Why I've never seen or heard of this creation before, I don't know, but it was GOOD. It was also just the smile I needed after my last few days.

I hadn't specifically set out today to do a walking tour of the city's churches, but that's somehow what I ended up doing. I suppose it was even appropriate since it's Sunday and that's where most of the city's citizens were anyway. ;-)

First, though, let me show you what it's like trying to find your way around León. Here's a picture of a map that the city has posted at Central Park. Let me know if you notice anything...strange about it:

Give yourself a round of applause if you noticed that there are no street names on this map. The guidebook says that, unusual for this area, Leon actually has street signs. It does, but they are very randomly placed and you can't exactly rely on them. My strategy is to consult the map when there ARE street signs and count the numbers of blocks to my destination or turn.

My map shows ten churches and I think I only saw half of them. The cathedral located at Central Park is the largest in all of Central America and seemed as good a place as any to start, (especially since I was already there in a shady spot with my bread). It took almost one hundred years to construct (beginning in 1747) and definitely shows signs of its age and being battered by volcanoes, although it is currently going through a renovation.