Camino de Santiago
Before I forget, you can respond to these newsletters with questions or comments. Only I get to actually view them. If you do respond, share your name with me because i may not recognize your email. Early on I thought I might get 20 people who would be interested in following our trip… I can bore my friends easily, and well, my family knew that years ago. Anyway, from the four of us, somehow we have 168 people (as of today) following us! Wowza. The vacationing god of protein must be smiling on us. (See previous newsletter if you are new here.)
We left Azofra yesterday after breakfast where I met Ben from the Falkland Islands. I only include that because we know there are more sheep than redisdents in the Falklands, so I made sure I introduced myself.
Three of us (not Estaban el Stud) chose to use the luggage transfer service, where Jacotrans picks up your heavier back pack and delivers it to your next hostel. Six Euros… thats a deal especially when you are walking 15miles.
Our destination was Santo Domingo de la Calzada
(Pieced together from the guidebooks….) Saint Domingo lived at the turn of the millennium (1019-1109) and chose the life of a hermit over a monk. A dream guided him to become a builder on the Camino, and he spent his days making it safer and easier to traverse… partly by utilizing defunct Roman roads! (And that gave him his full name “de la Calzada” meaning “of the Road.” )
Then, after Santo Domingo’passing, the legend says that in the 12th century a German family was passing through this very town on their way to Santiago when their son was falsely accused of stealing silver from an innkeeper. (Another version said it was planted on him by the innkeeper’s daughter who was spurned by the son. If I had a nickel!) The judge hanged him immediately. Enter Saint Domingo who intervened by lifting the boy up so he would not die. The boys parents then begged the judge, who was about to sit down to a delicious meal of delectable chickens, to release their innocent son. the judge said he would do so as soon as the two foul on his plate sat up and sang. Dick. Sure enough, that is just what the cock and hen did, and ran around the room. A miracle! The young boy was released!
There are chickens that are in the cathedral today who ARE THE DESCENDANTS of those two birds, (whether the church kept really good records, or have made great advances in poultry DNA, history is silent) and they have a very special coop built for them in the cathedral! I believe!
This morning we traveled from Sanyo Domingo to Belrado, 25 kilometers away. I think that is like 57 miles. Or maybe it just felt like that.
And to end, we found a huge buckeye tree in Granon on the way! (A friendly Spaniard told me “no eat”) we found some great ones.
