Najera to Santo Domingo

Hello from Santo Domingo, Spain. I got a late start from Najera this morning, so I arrived a little later to Santo Domingo at around 4pm. I met up with an 81 year old Australian guy named James on the way into town. He was at least a km behind me and caught up with me in under an hour. He walked the AT at the age of 65, walked the full length of the UK in his 70’s and now the Camino at age 81. I am a little embarrassed to admit that he crossed the Pyrenees in 7 hours at age 81 and it took me twice that long. Very humbling. He is actually in the bunk next to me tonight in an old monastary run by a group of nuns. The trip here today was uneventful really....lots of vineyards, grassy fields and hills, a 14 mile day. One note of interest...I walked through a literal ghost town today...very weird. Apparently a developer created an upscale community complete with a golf course and hundreds of condos...the whole thing flopped and it was abandoned as is. It felt like I was in a nuclear area like Chernobyl in Russia in the 80’s. Tomorrow I will attempt to make it to Belorado. Some stories from the Camino: On the same day I crossed, a guy arrived at the Albergue Orrison (the only refuge on the Pyrenees crossing) at around 5pm...they had no room for him and turned him away. He went a mile up the trail, pitched his tent and settled in until the wild horses came along and destroyed his tent...scared the guy half to death apparently but I hear he survived okay. I met a 19 year old kid hiking the Camino backwards...started in Portugal and is walking to his home in England...about a 4 month trip. There is apparently another guy from Maine hiking somewhere near me but haven’t met up with him yet. That’s it from here for now....I am getting there. I have walked over 100 miles so far but can’t pin down the exact number but that means I am 20% of the way and still alive! Take care, I hope this finds everyone well!Read more