Najera to Santo Domingo. 22km 4 hours One week in - a quarter of the way time wise !
A short day today - just as well as I had a massive blister on the back of my left foot. Why it would develop a week into the walk I don´t know! We were tempted to carry on - regardless of the pain in my foot , but I´m a brave Pilgrim ........ (and don´t want to admit to KJ that right now I´d rather catch a bus for the next few hundred KM. Walking is boring, running is much quicker ....)
The KM sign outside the Albergue says 190km - it feels good to have a chunk of the route under the belt, although there is still a lot to do.
We set off this morning at 7am after a good nights sleep despite the orchestra of snoring going on all around. Again, a large part of the route was on road or hard track. There was some vineyards, but the vast majority of the route was open farm fields. Stopped at a place just like 'Nobles' for breakfast - just like my Granny used to take me too, full of smoke and old people.
Tonight's Albergue, when finished, will be great, but right now it´s little more than a building site. The wash facilities are new though. The beds are all singles, no bunk beds.
The story from this town is about a Pilgrim who was saved from the gallows by Saint Domingo. The local Mayor at the time said he´d believe in the miracle when the cooked chickens he was just about to eat flew off the plate, and they did. So the Cathedral has live chickens in a run in the church ...... In the Cathedral are also the remains of Saint Domingo after who the town is named. He wanted to be a monk but didn´t pass any of their entrance tests so he became a hermit and spent his life helping Pilgrims coming though the area.
The town is big on the tourist trail so there are a lot of nice restaurants. The town is also well kept - most of this area seems to have a 'Romanesque' influence. Still trying to work out which bits exactly!
1 week in: KJ now thinks he´s so much into this walking that he could run some sections.... scarily I think he may mean it !
The next few days will be long ones, we're going to try and make up the 1 more day we need to complete the walk in 28 days.
15th August
Santo Domingo to Villafranca Montes de Oca. 34.5km in 7 hours.
Great site - cool room and little noise. We knew we had to set off early as it was a long day ahead. Bit slow getting going though as I had to put a new blister plaster on, then we went wrong a little as we were too busy talking and missed the marker !"
First part of the day was amazing, nice sun rise. We didn´t find anywhere open for breakfast so it was just as well we´d stocked up on the yogurt and fruit the day before.
The second part of the day was just terrible ! 5km stretch by the road was horrible, you couldn´t talk as you couldn´t hear each other.
Told KJ that I was never coming back on another walking holiday again !
The last 12km was a lot better though, away from the road and with nice scenery. The blister is going but slowly, the feet are starting to really complain !
We also went to the supermarket to get supplies in for the next day. The supermarket turned out to be in the back of the local bar, so we had to walk through some very drunk men to get stuff. The singing was great !
Big day tomorrow so early to bed -again !
1 comment:
Must be a really new alburgue. I stayed with the Nuns when I went through. Seem to remember that the Sacturary was awsome at Santa Domingo.
Jim
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