5 star day to Cistierna

What are the odds—we got to the hotel around 2 pm and as I am checking in, the woman said to me —I remember you, you were here a few years ago and had a tick in your back. Yep, that was me.

It was a perfect day. Coffee at 8 AM, a short 23 km to walk. Sunny, cool, lovely views of the mountains, a few ancient churches (One with a prominent carving of Santiago the moor slayer), great rest stops.

My favorite bit of history from today is the story of the two mermaids engraved on the wall of a little church. Legend has it that two peregrinas walking to Santiago seduced some monks, And when the Abbot found out he was very angry. He turned the women into two mermaids and threw them into the river nearby. The guilty monks had to build a new church, putting the mermaid statues in the wall to remind them of their sins.Read more