Villamayor Montjardin to Santo Domingo de la Calzada

Hi everyone,
Having a rest day means I can catch up on more of my adventures, not to mention sleep and putting up the feet.
Thanks Janet for your advice - shall do the stretches.
And on to the walk...leaving lovely Villamayor at 7am was truly inspitational and worth rising early. As I set foot out of the Albergue door I was greeted with a soft yellow and hazy sunrise over the valley below. I really enjoy the first steps out as the day has so much promise and every morning is different. I see different wild flowers every day and this day brought the delights of purple poppies, delicate tiny orchids, wild rosemary and rocket to add to my bread and cheese lunch.
The walk was through olive groves, almond trees, vineyards (always promising) and wheat fields. In the middle of one such field I saw a campervan and as I walked past the door an arm thrust through with a hot coffee for me. This British guy travels the Camino from March to September giving sustenance to the pilgrims. He is in a different place each day and sometimes volunteers in the Albergues. His medical supplies for blisters etc were amazing.
The landscape changed to a drier vista with slate and granite outcroppings - harsher somehow and promising possibly flintier reds in this area. Little rock huts old and newer are seen on the hillsides - simple shelter for the shepherds. One can imagine how windswept and cold the winter could be.
This day was a long 30km day to Viana. I was going to stop earlier but the villages in between just didn´t seem right. You get a feel for a village the moment you walk into it.
Viana is a lovely town with huge church that once had 70 priests. It now has 1 and 1 in training. I stayed at the Church Albergue - very basic with thin mattresses on the tiled floor and a warm welcome from the volunteer hospitalerios. I´d run into Ailsa and Tony again and they had suggested I stay there with them. Dinner was provided after mass at about 9pm. We dutifully went to mass - a bit dry especially as it was in Spanish - what one will do for a feed! There was a reward after mass as all the pilgrims were invited to see the amazing artworks, huge illuminated books of canticles and intricately embroidered vestments and robes dating back to the 12th C. I felt like I was in the Vatican. Such richness in a town so small. Many of the churches have so much gilding - the wealth privided by the pious pilgrims over the centuries.
The next day took me on to Navarette via the lovely city of Logrono. It was Sunday so most things were closed, but I had a leisurely morning tea of delightful apple and custard pie at a cafe as I watched the locals and pilgrims go by. On my way out of the city I came across a Flamenco Fiesta in a park. The music and smell of barbecuing meat drew me closer. Most of the women were in flamenco skirts and even those in their jeans were dancing with such rhythm and passion. Some were on the stage erected for the fiesta and many were just dancing on the pathways of the park. Such a wonderful sight to come across. (Bridesmaids - I have a few ideas for dresses now for Lib´s wedding!!!!) Then it was up a small rise lined with pilgrim made crosses lashed to a cyclone fence that went on for about 300m. A tradition of the Camino. By the time I got into Navarette (via the big bull - yes move over big pineapple, Spain has the big bull) the Albergues were full so I had a night to myself in a pensione. It´s never really a night on my own as once I find the local, I find my mates from the road as well.
The next day was 23km to the tiny town of Azofra that exists only because of the pilgrims. It grew because of the Camino hundreds of years ago and despite only 500 people, it accomodates 80 or more walkers. The municipal albergue is lovingly called ¨the factory¨as it is huge with tiny rooms accomodating 2 per room. Give me the small rustic refugios any day where you sleep all together. Much more fun, especially when the Pilgrim menu at the local bar has been bean soup! The lacal church tower had a huge sork´s nest atop it complete with stork!
Todays walk took me into the Rioja area known for it´s red soil and red wines. The contrast of colours of the green vines and wheat against the richness of the soil was beautiful.
Azofra to Santa Domingo de la Calzada 15.2km. It was the first sunny day for about 5 days and the colours all became richer and more vibrant. The night had been freezing. It wasn´t just my imagination I found, as I stepped out to see fresh snow on a nearby mountain - not much higher than Mt Lofty. The wheat fields were studded with those gorgeous red poppies and joined today by the deep vibrant blue cornflowers. The sun sparkled off everything throwing twisted shadows beneath the vines.
Pilgrims talk about ¨Camino Moments¨ One of mine occurred today as I saw a young man picking a bunch of poppies ahead of me. As I drew near I watched as he made a heart shape with them on the middle of the path, securing each one against the wind with a small pebble. I asked if they were for his girlfriend. He said, ¨No. They are for ze peoples¨ Nice hey? Fellas there should be more spreading of flowers in the streets!
I was pleased to get into Santa Domingo as my shins were getting worse and worse. It´s a lovely town with chooks in it´s cathedral. They are there because a supposed miracle happened hundreds of years ago when a young lad and a roast chook came back to life. Well that´s the essence of the story, and it makes for good viewing in the gilded cathedral. No they don´t just wander around. They have their own special illuminated and heated cage high up amongst the pillars. I went to Vespers in the other church to hear the Nun´s sing. The amazing accoustics of these places make the music so beautiful. No Vatican 2 for these nuns - they were all in full robes.
And so tomorrow, not sure how far I will get. The thing about a rest day is Ï lose the people with whom I´ve been walking. But then I had a happy experience to catch up with two lovely Dutch ladies I had passed a few days ago. So it all works out. Each day new scenery, new beds, new experiences and new friends.
And so until the next internet place I will say Adios!

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