Miguel Hernández Park

Another good nights sleep in Logronos and a few errands for the days ahead...some emergency food (tuna/juice/sausage), duck tape ( I can't believe I found some!), the bank, and a repack my suitcase and backpack and I was in a taxi heading to Santo Domingo de la Calzada.

I am already thankful I decided to take two days off the Camino because first, my feet are feeling much better, and my body and soul are also feeling a bit recovered from the reprieve of constant pain and suffering, and second because I was able to do some sightseeing in Santo Domingo that if I had continued to walk would have been unlikely up to the task.

I arrived at my "hostel" called Hospederia Cistercienses a bit early so I rang the doorbell, and a nun answered the door. At first I thought I must be in the wrong place expecting to arrive at something that more closely resembled a hotel than a convent. But I am in the right place! I am so excited to be a convent that I opted for dinner tonight at the convent, despite the fact that dinner is not served until 8:45 pm.

After settling into my room for a moment, I headed out to see the sights. There is a festival in this town today...lots of families with young children and teenagers, music in the square, but I am not sure what exactly is the celebration, but very nice to be part of such a vibrant community.

The Cathedral de Santo Domingo de la Calzada is the Camino's most famous surviving structure on the Camino. The 13th century cathedral also keeps the tomb on Santo Domingo and the living descendants of his miracle: a pair of fowl.

Santo Domingo (1019 - 1109) choose to be a hermit over being a monk until a dream guided him to be a builder on the Camino and to be of service to the pilgrims on the Camino. Calzada means "roads" and Santo Domingo built many roads often from defunct old Roman roads and picked the spot where the city currently stands because it was such a hard place for pilgrims to pass and they needed support and protection.

In the 11th century, a German family were travelling, and their son was falsely accused of stealing silver, and the boy was immediately hung, but Santo Domingo intervened and raised the boy up so as to not hang. The boy's parents pleaded with the judge who was about to begin a lovely dinner of roast fowl, and said he would set the boy free when the fowl at his table sat up and sang. The cock and the hen then just did that, and the boy was released! The descendants of this miracle cock and hen still reside in the The Cathedral de Santo Domingo de la Calzada.

I thoroughly enjoyed the tour of the church, seeing the miracle fowl, and then enjoyed a late lunch at a cafe before heading back to my modest room for a nap. I am truly adapting to the Spanish lifestyle I think!

I just finished the pilgrim supper at the convent/hostal, and it was lovely and simple. A simple supper of eggs and fried potatoes, salad, chicken soup, and a kind of gelatine orange slice with cheese, and, of course, wine. I sat with people I had either met or seen on the trail. A father and daughter ( Bob and Kate), Martha ( also from British Columbia...and in fact on the same island...Gabri???...up the Sunshine Coast???) and Helen. Martha, Helen and I are all widowed/divorced, 60 to 70 years old...so many of us solo female travellers on the trail.

Kate just bought new shoes today, and I am going to duck tape my blisters, so tomorrow will be a good day! I am feeling rested and eager to walk again the Camino.Read more