Camino Wander #3: Day 17

Najera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada

My intention was to take the bus in the morning to Santo Domingo de la Calzada and then explore, essentially giving myself a bit of a rest day.

Good plans and all that.

I forgot it was Saturday. The bus schedule has less buses running on the weekend. The first bus to Santo Domingo was at 1.30pm.

I hung out with Josie from Germany in Najera until then. We people-watched from a cafe by the river, with the hope that we could catch the bus and we were both reading the timetable correctly. Since Josie wasn’t able to secure accomodation anywhere before, she was heading to Burgos. Another guy from the U.S. was heading to Burgos and ending his Camino for the same reason - No places to stay. I was relieved that I had booked ahead. I had my accomodation secure - and confirmed.

When I arrived in Santo Domingo, the place was jumping. Everyone - and their dog - was outside eating lunch. Multi- generational families were gathered. Teenagers sat around talking without any gadgets involved, which is amazing to see in this day and age.

Since it was already 2.30, I headed to the Parador to check in. I was so excited to be staying there. This is my third Camino and I’ve never stayed in a parador before.

When I approached, there was a mass of people standing around, dressed in their ‘Sunday best’. I assumed it was a wedding, especially when I saw a young girl in a gorgeous white flower- girl dress. When I checked in, I joked that I didn’t know I’d been invited to a wedding, but I was wrong with my assumption. It was a first communion, and from I saw and further researched, it’s an expensive endeavour in Spain! The girl in the ‘flower girl dress’ was the reason everyone was there.

The parador - a parador is a luxury hotel managed by a state-run company and usually located in buildings of historical importance (site: Camino Ways) - was the historical wonder I imagined, but the room was smaller room than I expected. That was fine with me - I was just staying one night. Plus, it had fluffy towels, toilet paper AND a bathtub. You may laugh at that, but when you are dealing with dripping sinks, flooded floors, and a severe lack of toilet paper (and hand soap!), it’s the small luxuries that you appreciate more.

The bed was too enticing upon arrival, especially since I woke to Korean singsong at 5.30. (There was a huge group of Koreans staying in the room next to me, and when I got up 30 mins later to go the loo, I had to navigate their mass of crap all over the floor. Amongst the crap was a small kettle and a small rice-maker!) I didn’t quite nap, although I tried. Just laying there with my eyes closed and being still in the quiet was enough.

I headed out around 5 to explore the cathedral, which I’ve seen before, to make sure the chickens were still alive and well.

From The Fogwatch (https://thefogwatch.com/najera-to-santo-domingo-de-la-calzada/)

In the C14th, an 18 year old named Hugonell, together with his parents, were on pilgrimage to Santiago, from Xanten. A barmaid at the local inn took a fancy to Hugonell, but he rejected her advances. So she hid a silver cup in his bag, and then informed the magistrate. Hugonell was caught, and sentenced to be hanged under the laws of Alphonso X of Castile. Grief-stricken, his parents went to examine his body on the gallows, only to hear his voice saying that St Domingo had kept him alive. His parents then rushed to the magistrate’s house where the magistrate was eating his dinner. The magistrate declared ‘Your son is no more alive than this chicken and this rooster on my plate!’ Whereupon the rooster and the chicken jumped from the plate and crowed. The boy is pardoned on the spot and retrieved unharmed.

Within the cathedral, live chickens are enclosed in a box high above. It’s surprising to see but those who know the legend, come to see the cathedral and the chickens! (They have ‘back up chickens’ out the back - the chickens are on rotation.) there was no crowing and a little hiding, but the chickens look fat and healthy.

By this stage it was getting late and I had not eaten a lot all day. I was hungry. (Not for chicken.) I joined Sarah and Marlene from Liechtenstein for dinner. It was Marlene’ms last night. I was craving protein, so I ordered a hamburger that was so big I had to dismantle it. And with it, a vino tinto, of course!

When I got back to the hotel, I ran a bath and while it filled, re-sorted my pack. I was sending it forward as I knew the coming day would be a challenge for me. Not too bad but I’ve decided anything over 10km, I’m forwarding my pack.

The bath was indulgent, quiet and relaxing. It was so lovely. Exactly what I needed.

When I dropped into bed, I had a window open and I was ready for a good night sleep. But… the Spanish next door were chatty and had their television was so loud, I could hear the constant hum of conversation. They didn’t turn it off until close to 11.30. I had just nodded off, when I heard a woman screaming. I immediately thought something was terribly wrong … until I realised that, nope, she was just fine…. But she geezus she went on for a long time - and very loudly. I think the entire parador heard her.

Eventually I got to sleep.

Steps: 8928 steps

Distance: 6.3km

Feeling: taking the bus isn’t all bad. The waiting around was the killer. But I got lots of writing done so it wasn’t time wasted.