Today was a very welcome rest day in Lleida. I must admit that I had never heard of Lleida before I came on the Ignatian Camino. It is a wonderful city. I slept in, had a late breakfast, did my washing and caught up with emails before exploring the city.

Clothing drying outside our window in the hotel

Lleida is an important regional centre within the region of Cataluña and famous for its agricultural produce and textile industry. Of Iberian origins, the city (which was well known to the Romans who named it Ilerda) was under Muslim rule for four centuries.  It was later conquered by Count Ramon Berenguer in the middle of the twelfth century.

I walked down into the centre of town at midday and had an excellent hamburger with the lot before walking up to the Cathedral of St. Mary of La Seu Vella. After exploring the Cathedral, I spent an hour there praying.

The cloister at Seu Vella