Yesterday was some of the best walking yet. Such beauty, a nice breeze, and moderate temperatures made walking truly a joy.
We walked through Santo Domingo de la Calzada and took some time to tour the church there. It is where Saint Dominic, founder of the Dominican order, is laid to rest. Look up the story of the chickens! We saw them.
About this time during the Camino your physical weakness start to make themselves known. We have heard of pilgrims we started out with who have dropped aside with bad knees, shin splints, and monster blisters. They’re all ahead of us, hmm. Maybe slow and steady wins after all. I am by no means left unscathed. I’ve developed two blisters; one on a toe that grew one last time on the Camino. I knew it was a problem spot so I’ve been wrapping it with paper tape every day, but it grew one anyway. It hasn’t bothered me but grew bigger every day, so I gave it the needle. I know, I know. A little Spanish antiseptic gel and bandage and Bob’s your uncle. The second is on the side of my right heel, which is a new spot for me. My insole has a worn spot right under it and I wonder if the pebble I picked up a few days ago caused it. It hurts to walk on it so I ran it through as well. Actually, Andie did that, a task I assure you she could have done without!
It is very beautiful, waves upon waves of grain, interspersed with bright red poppies. Except for the poppies, and the occasional medieval bridge, you could be fooled that you were walking through the Palouse. It feels a bit like home. We landed in the village of Villambistia at a hostal I well remember from my last Camino. I was feeling ill and I think I could have been convinced to quit the Camino. We stopped at this hostal to a break and I had a cup of hot, black tea. Maybe it was magic tea, maybe it was the Holy Spirit, I don’t know, but when I walked out I was a new man and never thought about quitting again. Andie found this place through Facebook, it’s not listed in the guides being only a couple years old. Imagine my surprise when we rounded the corner to see that this is where we had reservations! A delightful room with two beds and a full sized bathroom with shower! It’s the small things when you’re a pilgrim.
Last night we stayed at the parochial albergue in Grañon, which is where our parish priest, Fr. Kevin Codd, was a hospitalero for two weeks last summer. It was an amazing experience (read Andie’s blog for more: http://caminarasconmigo.blogspot.com), including sleeping on mats on the floor in a room of 16 people.
Today we passed into the Provence of Castilla y León.
It is very beautiful, waves upon waves of grain, interspersed with bright red poppies. Except for the poppies, and the occasional medieval bridge, you could be fooled that you were walking through the Palouse. It feels a bit like home. We landed in the village of Villambistia at a hostal I well remember from my last Camino. I was feeling ill and I think I could have been convinced to quit the Camino. We stopped at this hostal to a break and I had a cup of hot, black tea. Maybe it was magic tea, maybe it was the Holy Spirit, I don’t know, but when I walked out I was a new man and never thought about quitting again. Andie found this place through Facebook, it’s not listed in the guides being only a couple years old. Imagine my surprise when we rounded the corner to see that this is where we had reservations! A delightful room with two beds and a full sized bathroom with shower! It’s the small things when you’re a pilgrim.We figure we are two days out from Burgos where we will take a rest day in a hotel and enjoy the city, including the amazing cathedral. Burgos was my favorite city on the Camino, after Santiago, last time. I am looking forward to it.
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