553 km to Santiaga
This morning wasn’t the most cheerful. We slept poorly, rain was expected, and we were still tired from yesterday. For breakfast – some bread with jam, magnesium, and of course, coffee. We filled our bottles and stepped into the new day.
Our first stop was Santo Domingo de la Calzada, known for its beautiful church that houses two live chickens, rotated every 21 days. Why chickens?
According to legend, a young German pilgrim traveling with his parents stayed the night in town. When he rejected the innkeeper’s daughter, she accused him of theft. He was hanged. On their return from Santiago, the parents saw their son alive, standing on the shoulders of Saint Dominic. They reported this to the judge, who was eating at the time and said, “Your son is as dead as these two chickens on my plate.” At that moment, the chickens came to life and flew off. The city still features two chickens in its coat of arms.
Unfortunately, we arrived too early to see the chickens ourselves.
Well equipped for the rain, we walked on – each in our rain ponchos – toward Grañón, without stopping. Past that, a sign marked the border between La Rioja and Castilla y León. We were officially in Spain’s breadbasket. Endless fields, irrigation systems, and villages spaced every few kilometers.
It kept raining, our shoes got soaked, and it was hard to take a proper break. Just before Redecilla, we found a covered stone rest area for pilgrims. There we changed socks, massaged our feet, and continued more comfortably. Still, the sky remained heavy and gray.
We finally reached our destination – Villamayor del Río. A hot shower, a late lunch, TV, and even football. Yes, that too is Camino life. We also did laundry – everything was muddy.
A little Sunday comfort and civilization is no sin.
Wondering about blisters? Of course I have some. Small ones – manageable.
And by the way, we’ve now walked just under 230 km in ten days. We’re happy and hoping to keep the good spirit, rain or shine.
Sending a rainy hello from the Camino,
Martina & Ive
