Magical spot to rest on El Camino.

8:30: awoke feeling the flow of the Universe. It rained lightly as

I walked up the hill and left Najera. The rain increased making

the trail muddy and hard to negotiate. Reached Azofra at 10:00 wet

and soggy and arrived in Santo Domingo De La Calzada around 3:00

after walking 20 Km from Najera. Though I haven't gone very far

today, this has been the 11th day of walking and I'm wearing down.

I checked into the refugio, tired, wet, and with aching feet. Very

depressing and ugly views and smells entering the city. The

refugio is on the third floor of an ancient building next to the

cathedral, and is very clean and comfortable. After having a cafe

solo in a very clean and empty bar I visited the Cathedral which

is famous for having a chicken coop in the church itself. The

chickens are there because of a legend that goes like this (from

my guidebook):

"In the 14th century, a man and his wife from Saintes, a part of

the diocese of Cologne were making the pilgrimage to Santiago de

Compostela, accompanied by their son Hugonell. They stopped for

the night at the inn in Santo Domingo, where the innkeeper's

daughter took a fancy to the young man, who virtuously resisted

her advances. Thus spurned, she hid a silver goblet in Hugonell's

baggage, and the following morning denounced him as a thief. The

boy was arrested and hanged. As his parents were preparing to

depart they heard their son's voice telling them that he was still

alive, as St. Dominic was holding him up by the feet. The hastened

to the house of the judge, who was just sitting down to dine on a

pair of roast chickens, a cock and a hen, and told him the

extraordinary tale. The judge retorted that the boy was no more

alive than the cock and hen on his plate. At that, the birds

jumped out of the plate, grew feathers again and began to flutter

around and cackle and crow, thus demonstrating the hanged boy's

innocence."

The Cathedral is very beautiful and there was a mass taking place

when I visited. There is a particularly vivid and tortured statue

of the Virgin dressed in black and with arrows piercing her. I

can't recall seeing any image of her quite so believable and

moving. After returning to the refugio, I decided to make some

spaghetti with asparagus soup as a sauce for dinner. The kitchen

was a bustling place with all of us waiting our turn at the small

stove. There was a French couple cooking up a storm, and they

generously shared some of the crepes they made with me which were

delicious.

June 29, 1997 5:30 P.M.

Common area of Belorado refugio.

Belorado. Still raining. I washed some clothes in the bathroom

which I'm sure will not be dry by the time I leave in the morning

but they needed to be washed anyway. I've had a shower but feel

cold and wet. I have been in the Church of Santa Maria next door

where I lit a couple of electric candles for my family. Not quite

as authentic as the real thing, but better than nothing. The

refugio is clean with a large common area and several sleeping

rooms upstairs. The only trouble is that it is quite packed with

pilgrims. I manage to find a bunk in a small room (3 meters wide

and 7 meters long) with 10 bunks. Mostly Czechs and a single bare

light bulb hangs from the center of the ceiling. It is smelly, and

at 8:00 P.M. some people are sleeping, some talking, and some not

here yet. I have had another dinner of spaghetti with some tomato

sauce I found in one of the cupboards. The refugio is so crowded

that some people are sleeping on the benches and floor of the

common room. A kid from Holland came in late after walking 40 Km

and told us that he will probably go to Burgos tomorrow, a

distance of about 50 Km. He was appropriately young and

enthusiastic, and I had no doubt he would do exactly as he said. I

will be quite satisfied with a walk of about 26 Km to San Juan de

Ortega where the priest serves a legendary garlic soup to all

pilgrims following the mass. I resolve to bandage the very serious

blisters that have developed on my heels before walking tomorrow

and go to bed.

Church of Santa Maria.