30 August - Day 12

Poem dedicated to the pilgrims.


I decided to try and walk. The backpack being lighter definitely helps. We left the albergue and like every day the left side of my left calf hurts/burns. Niall thinks I should get it checked out, but when it stops hurting, after an hour of walking I think it will be just fine. We left Ventosa and the whole Camino was rocky. In many places people stack stones and this little path here was so full of them.




We passed Najera then Azofra and Cirueña, which is where we first thought we would stay. He wanted to go on to Santo Domingo de la Calzada so we kept on going. Then my feet started hurting. Total 31 kms! Maybe too much. We got in at 7pm (we left at 8am) and I landed on the bed. After his shower we went to mass, then listened to the priest tell us the story of Santo Domingo and how he started the Camino that we know today. He is buried there. I took pics, including the chicken that lives in the church.


The story goes: This commemorates the tale that the innkeepers daughter was attracted to a young man who was on a pilgrimage but unfortunately it was not reciprocated. For revenge she hid some silver in his possessions and then reported him for the theft. In those days punishment was swift and was death by hanging. It was reported to the son's grieving parents that St. Dominic had held him up so that he did not die. When the magistrate was told about this he said that the lad was as dead as the chicken he was about to eat. The cooked bird promptly came to life and flew off the table. This tale is commemorated by the cock kept in the cathedral with a piece of the gallows hanging on the wall nearby.


We left quickly to get to the convent where the nuns cooked an awesome meal. I had mixed salad, soup and fsh with a pepper sauce. Bread and wine of course. At dinner Niall told me so many historical facts. Seems like he knows so much about almost everything. I am charmed, but tipsy from the wine and the long day´s walk had me a bit tired. 3 minutes to 10 and the nuns reminded us to run. They called the albergue and we got in. All the lights were out so I just jumped into my bunk. The top of the ladder dug into my thigh and I stifled a yelp. I bear a bruise inside my thigh today. Nothing happens between us other than companionship, but he is sticking with me on these walks and I am not sure why. I suspect he needs to move on, since he is able to go much faster than I. That´s ok. :)