Full Circle ⭕️

Day 10 Najera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada
22km
6.5 hours walking
235.4km so far
291,141 so far
326,135 steps so far

22km felt like 220km today. I still loved it though, but my feet are sore and I’ve developed a bit of a hiker’s rash on my ankles!
I slept well last night and woke up for another buffet breakfast. We were watched closely, so there was not any opportunity to stock up for a picnic lunch.
The sun was shining brightly as we headed out of Najera to make our way to Santo Domingo de la Calzada. I have to Google all these names or look at maps when I write these posts because there’s no way I would remember them - so most of the time if I was asked where I am I would have no idea!
As I shared in my last post, my prescription glasses were found. The Camino provided.
This morning, as I wandered down a country lane, I looked down and saw a pair of glasses lying on the side of the road. I instantly picked them up and thought it would be my mission to find the owner.
It didn’t take long. They belonged to an elderly gentleman I had noticed having breakfast at our hotel that morning. He was wearing a bright orange T-shirt with what looked to be photos on it, and he was visibly grateful for their return. It felt like a full circle moment to me.
Had this not happened, we wouldn’t have heard his story.
Charbel, a 70-year-old Lebanese man with an extraordinary story. He came to Australia in 1977 to escape the civil war in Lebanon. During his immigration interview, he honestly disclosed that he had fought for his country, although he had never killed anyone. He said that if Australia rejected his application because of his honesty, he would wear that rejection as a badge of honour. But if he was accepted, he and his wife vowed to embrace everything it meant to be Australian and contribute positively to their new home.
His honesty saw his visa fast-tracked, and he and his beloved wife built a beautiful life in Sydney. Together they raised two daughters, one now a leading haematologist and the other a lawyer, also a proud grandparent to four grandchildren.
Charbel and his wife had planned to walk the Camino together to celebrate his 70th birthday. He turned 70 just a few weeks ago, but heartbreakingly lost his wife on 8 May last year after 49 years of marriage. On May 8th this year, he boarded a plane from Sydney to walk the Camino they had dreamed of sharing. He had three T-shirts printed with photos of the two of them and wears them as he walks each day.
As he told us his story, he simply said, “She is walking with me.”
Charbel wanted to buy me a beer for finding his glasses. There was no need x

Tonight we’re staying in the Parador Bernardo de Fresneda, a former 16th-century Franciscan monastery built for pilgrims walking the Camino. More than 400 years later, weary walkers are still finding a bed here, which feels pretty special when you’re one of them.
Walking through its stone corridors and archways, it’s nice to think of the pilgrims who have passed through these doors throughout time, carrying their own hopes, worries and dreams along this same path.
The day ended with more walking around the village, a visit to the cathedral and a climb up to the bell tower. Impressive views but I was knackered.
Santo Domingo de la Calzada is famous for the Miracle of the Cock😳🐓, a centuries-old Camino legend in which a roasted rooster miraculously came back to life to prove the innocence of a young pilgrim. To this day, live roosters and hens are kept in the cathedral as a reminder of the miracle!!

Buen Camino xRead more