595 km to Santiago de Compostela
As we leave the town of Nájera, we pass the monastery of Santa Maria la Real. This fortified monastery is built against the cliff that is behind the town. It was built on 1052 by order of king Don Garcia Sanchez III. The legend is that one day while hunting the king followed an animal into a cave in the cliff. Suddenly he found himself in front of an image of Our Lady and around were a bell, a candle and a vase of flowers. As an act of thanks he ordered the construction of the monastery against the cliff and including the cave. The monastery today is famous for its pantheon of kings and queens of Navarra and Castilla. The most famous being the tomb of Doña Blanca because of the artistic carvings.
We left the hostel at 7 am, barely dawn. Nothing was open so we left without breakfast. The way is up the hill for 15 km, the first village is Azofra, 6 km away. The weather changed today. Yesterday lots is sun and around 20 C, today it got cloudy, very windy and temperature of only 6C. It was cold. Yesterday we walked alone, we only saw a polish pilgrim, today we saw lots of people, we talked to Roberto from Monterrey, Mexico and we had breakfast with him in Azofra. We briefly met pilgrims from Holland, Latvia, Korea and Ireland but we saw many more.
At the very top of the Alto is the town of Cirueña, the country club offers pilgrims meals, they are the same than for members but they charge a third so for 5 Euros we had a tapas of chorizo, excellent plate of fish, a drink, salad and desert in a very nice environment.
We are for sure the slowest pilgrims on the Camino. By the time we stopped for lunch everyone was gone and we walked alone the last 6 km to Santo Domingo de la Calzada. It took us 8 hours to walk the 22 km.
Once in town we found our way to the hostel of Santa Teresita. It is run by the Cistercian nuns. As expected the rooms are impeccable and the sister who received us told us the price and said if you cannot afford it don't worry. Wow. Another advantage there is mass this evening in the chapel of the hostel so we don't have to go out.
Now, I know I am being long winded but there is a legend from this town that is said was well known in the middle ages. The legend of the hanged pilgrim. A young man was on pilgrimage with his parents and they stopped at a hostel. The daughter of the host was attracted to the boy but he did not pay attention to her. She was angry so she took a silver cup and hid it in his luggage. As soon as he left she accused him of robbery. The authorities caught up with him and searched his luggage finding the cup. Taken in front of the magistrate he was condemned to be hung by the neck. They proceeded to do that but he did not die. It is said that Santiago was holding him up by the feet. The parents went to the magistrate and told him he was alive. The magistrate was about to eat a roasted rooster and a chicken. He said he is as alive as this chicken I am about to eat. As he said that the feathers came out the rooster and the chicken and they were alive. The magister forgave the young man who continued his pilgrimage with his parents. A white rooster and a chicken are kept by the cathedral of the town.
Santo Domingo de la Calzada, you dedicated your life to God and to help pilgrims. Help us learn your ways to help others. Pray for us.
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