Santa Domingo de la Calzada - rest day

A rejuvenating day spent in Santa Domingo de la Cazada. A late start with a coffee with Pilgrims walking through from the previous village and a bit of top up shopping while waiting for our washing. Then a slow paced tourist day including visits up the tower (see the video of the bells ringing at 12), Abbey of Saint Francis, the Cathedral of El Salvador and then the church, Emita de la Plaza (hermit of the square). The artwork and architecture are incredible and such a treat to have the time to appreciate it all. Some of the original city walls and cobbled streets are still in existence.
The town is really a dedication to Saint Domingo whose calling was to serve Pilgrims, especially focussed on the engineered elements (roads, bridges). His most famous miracle involved a rooster (see photo for explanation) and as a result there is a rooster in the church that crowed while we were in the Cathedral (see video). These roosters are carefully looked after and are descendants of the original rooster.
We had a lovely day of sightseeing, food and drink without being rushed. We ended the day with mass at the Cathedral, big crowds again (a novena said before each Mass until the real celebration to celebrate St Domingo day on 10th May) and then a meal at the Hospederia Cistercience where the nuns served us both breakfast and dinner), and catching up with some new pilgrims who were also having dinner.Read more