Going to Santo Domingo de la Calzada
Leaving early is always a good choice for a hot day. Two hours later I was passing through a false option of El Camino. It read: “one km of art.” I was ready to turned, when a voice from behind me said: “Petre” keep straight, there is nothing there . It was Pedro who has reached me. The people from Ventosa wants to do business with the pelegrinos by taking them out of the path 2 kms.
We just kept walking to see many people getting out of the tramp. It is always good to read the maps before you start walking. Many people change the markers to take advantage of pelegrinos.
We reached Nájera, a cemetery place for Kings and Queens of the Navarra Kingdom. That was all! I did not have time to give my respects, I focus on the big hill leaving this town.
After Nájera, we entered Azofra, a farming village. We entered a coffee shop. We drank coffee and had something to eat, when the action begun! OMG! This women came from the back of the coffee shop so high on the clouds that we thought that she was passed. Pedro and me got so scared that we leave the village as faster as we entered it. It was so sad, because the residents of the village knew was going on, and they were embarrassed. At one point I said to her: It think is better for you to start El Camino to find peace… I was not sure that she understood what I said.
From there we walked one of the most painteresque-views in La Rioja, Spain. It was the wine country. I cannot describe it. See pictures on Instagram.
Santo Domingo de Guzman was our final destination. We arrived singing songs of Mercedes Sosa helped by the cell phones. We stopped at the first grocery store to get some lunch and arrived to the Abbey of the Cistercians Sisters. They have good old fashion rooms, but very comfortable. I went to the vespers, and concelebrate at the 7pm mass.
Pedro and me went to the Cathedral to see St. Dominic and the living rooster and hen. To our surprise, the charge 3 Euros to walk into the Cathedral. I gave an about face immediately. How can you charge to enter into the House of the People of God??? Ridiculous!
We stopped and at fruit store and got our dinner: pears, cheese, chorizo, octopus in Gallega sauce, and wine. Delicious!!! Then we walk the village to discover the main action on the new district where everyone was having tapas and wine.