Day 13: Santo Domingo de la Calzada

Once again we started walking before dawn this morning. Farm trucks were out in force working the grape harvest, and it was fun to strike up a short conversation with two men standing near a harvesting vehicle.

We’d seen the big blue contraption roll by on the road, and we were hoping we’d catch up with it to see it in action. We didn’t get to see it harvesting grapes, but we were able to hear a little about it.

We learned it is used to harvest vines with fruit higher off the ground, presumably younger vines. Grapes on older, more traditional vines with lower to the ground fruit are harvested by hand.

After that chat, we kept walking until we stopped for breakfast at a café in Azofra. Then, satiated by our daily dose of tortilla and pain au chocolat, we kept up a peppy pace until we reached Cirueña, 15 kilometers into our 21k day. We walked past newish townhomes and apartments, but most were closed up. A community park had a lovely playground and a sparkling pool, but no sign of life. Nearby, the garage door and siding, on a nice house that looked quite new, was marred with graffiti. That seemed rather strange.

After another few minutes we entered what appeared to be the older part of Cirueña; again with no signs of life stirring in the late morning. It was the strangest experience passing through a small town so far, on our Camino.

Soon we were entering a sea of arid fields. Chats with other pilgrims helped make the final 6 kilometers to Santiago de la Calzada fly by.

We splurged on a room in the Parador Santo Domingo de la Calzada, and are particularly enjoying the luxury of steaming hot baths today.

That, and a delicious lunch at the nearby Restaurante Los Caballeros. It’s holding top prize for best meal in Spain, so far.

Tomorrow, we’ll walk another 22 kilometers to Belorado.Read more