I do not have fond memories of this day from previous Caminos. In 2017 the track looked like this, it was quite hot and there was nowhere to sit, it went on forever. In 2014 it was cold and wet and muddy.

The temperature was expected to hit 32C so Papa Bear and I decided to walk to the first town then bus it. D2 said she was going to walk. 

On the outskirts of town we came across a rather dejected looking figure on a bench. D2 just wasn’t feeling the love this morning and decided to walk and bus with us.

We headed off into the dawn together.

The hill out of town wasn’t easy,

but before too long we were over the top and the rest of the walk was easy. I was a bit sad this morning, knowing our time on the Camino was almost over and shed a few tears.

Pilgrims just love taking pictures of poppies!

Azofra and coffee!

A family emerged from the house and climbed into this car – Grandma, grandpa, Mum, dad and 4 kids!!

Far from 32C it was really chilly and I was wishing I had kept my jacket but in anticipation of the heat I had packed it in my backpack.  It was probably in the back of this carrier van, so near and yet so far!

We had two hours to wait for the bus so bar hopped down the Main Street to the bus stop.

So D2, are you glad you took the bus?

Views from the bus

And here we are in Santo Domingo de la Calzada.

D2 is fascinated with the variety of vending machines. This is the local pharmacy

The Cathedral in St Dom is one of my favourites with a rather eclectic display of art. D2 and I have become quite knowledgeable about the Spanish saints over the years.

Saint Sebastian was speared by the Romans but survived only to be clubbed to death when he tried to tell the Roman Emporer about his sins. Saint Sebastian is a long-standing gay icon.  The combination of his strong, shirtless physique, the symbolism of the arrows penetrating his body, and the look on his face of rapturous pain have intrigued artists (gay or otherwise) for centuries, and began the first explicitly gay cult in the 19th century (Thanks Wikipedia)

Saint Roche was a benefactor who was cast from his town when he became covered in sores. A dog came to his aid and lucked his wounds until he recovered.

A modern depiction of the Last Supper

A very impressive LEGO display of a village.  This is just a small part of it.

St Francis of Assisi

I think this is St John holding his own head

I couldn’t help but think ‘St Dolly’

Santo Domingo de la Calzada is the site of the miracle of the “hanged innocent” a pilgrim wrongly accused of theft. The witnesses for his successful appeal, a pair of beheaded, supposedly cooked chickens are represented by their descendants, a pair of whom are kept at all times in the choir loft of the cathedral. Other descendants are kept in the local pilgrimage refuge.

 

We had decided to splash out and stay at the local Parador, a hotel usually converted from a monastery or palace.

The view from our window, the old and the new.

I went for a wander and got a bit lost, but all you have to do is look for the spire

A farewell dinner with our American Camino family.

We were intending to walk on tomorrow and see where the day took us. But somehow once we got here we all knew our walk was done. Once a pilgrim, always a pilgrim, but for us this Camino is over.