Grañon from Cirueña

I intended to take a detour but bumped into Kristen (we met in Pamplona) and I decided to walk with her instead. After a few days solo I'm craving company and hers is delightful.

On that line of thinking, I stopped in Grañon because it has a famously social albergue that is all about a warm familial environment.

...and I immediately opted to sit in the shade of an umbrella on the plaza to read! Sometimes my own mind surprises me, but I guess I need a little me-time before the socializing. Okay, then.

The tortilla here was delicious and watching the hubbub is always a pleasure.

Before Grañón, strolled through Santo Domingo de la Cruzada and enjoyed a fantastic tour of the Cathedral. Their collection of treasures is remarkable. Some was truly beautiful.

My favorite part of the Cathedral is the enclosure *in* the main part of the church that houses, I kid you not: a live hen and cock. They are white and they look pretty darn bored in their little chicken prison. I am told that they swap the poultry out weekly. I don't know what happens upon retirement.

Ok, my *other* favorite part of the self-guided tour was finding a door that took us up into the battlements (defenses) it was like being a kid scrambling through secret passageways. Very fun.

The walk was not particularly remarkable beyond Santo Domingo. It felt easy, not very much up/down and nearly all of it was decent quality gravel.Read more