Cirueña, Santo Domingo, + Grañon

12pm

Bar Piedra, Santo Domingo

An overused saying in the Pacific Northwest is, "If you don’t like the weather, wait 5 minutes." It’s ever-changing and unpredictable. The same can be said for many aspects of life. One of the many (many MANY) things I love about the Camino is that if you don’t like how you’re feeling... wait 5 minutes. This morning started out a bit rough for me, sooo sleepy and sluggish and my pack has never felt heavier. We knew today would be a long one, consisting of 10-11km stretches without any place to rest or eat or refresh. So it began to overwhelm me as I trudged up the hills of the morning. But we got an early start and we were making pretty good time!  

I became encouraged when I saw our first town, Cirueña, in the distance. We had to walk a couple blocks off the Camino path to find a bar, and we weren’t the only ones who rested there. I had the most amazing bocadillo de queso of the trip yet, with fresh slices of cheese right off the wheel. My dad ordered toast and was given a delicious peach jam, and I love me a jam & cheese combo, so I added some to my sandwich and it was bliss. I usually order café con leche, but I saw the man in front of me order a cafe americano and that sounded better. I’ll never look back. I never drink lattes at home, and I can appreciate the flavor of just the rich, pure coffee. Plus I think I got more coffee for my buck, and you know how this girl likes a good deal.

The only way I can think to describe the next stretch of our walk, between Cirueña and Santi Domingo, is euphoric. We turned the corner out of town and crested our last little uphill of this leg to find the most spectacular view. Field upon field of wheat mixed with wildflowers, including the most vibrant poppies. Mountains in the distance, and the beautiful Santo Domingo down in the valley before us. 

I closed my eyes and felt the soft breeze brush my cheeks and tousle my hair. Maybe it was just the coffee talking (it wasn’t just the coffee talking, but it doesn’t hurt), but I was overcome with gratitude. For this life, for this trip, for this day, for this moment. There is just so much beauty in this world.

We went on to quickly tour the cathedral, where Santo Domingo’s remains are buried! INSANE. Do yourself a favor and look up the story behind the chicken miracle and Santo Domingo. You won’t regret it. 

4pm

Albergue de St. Juan Bautista 

The rest of our walk passed smoothly as well, fueled by our blissful morning, and we arrived to our albergue by about 2:45pm! Which I consider a big win, seeing as it was a 25km day. This place is really special. Again, no frills, but everything we need. 

We spent some time down the street at the very best food truck in all the land, chatting with new friends Lis and Finn from Denmark. The truck is owned by Javi, a lovely Spanish local (from Logroño) who walked the Camino two years ago, inspiring him to sell his blacksmith business and open this truck. I’m obsessed. 

9pm

Dinner was lovely, a group effort by all the pilgrims. This place runs purely by donativo (donation), and the donation box remains open for pilgrims to take from it if they need. How magical is that? Instructions and welcomes and thank-yous were translated into 4 different languages. How magical is THAT? And now we’re all mingling and milling about, some snoozing (papa Daisley among them), some going to sleep sooner rather than later (me among them), and all enjoying each other’s company in one way or another.

10:30pm 
Well, as with many other Camino happenings, some more unforeseen magic occurred tonight. When we first arrived here, our amazing the spunky hospitalero Ynez asked, “Do either of you play an instrument or sing?” Of course my dad said, “Not me, but she sings.” So I learned I would be singing at some point. Yowsers. After dinner, they brought us out to the balcony of the old church we were staying above. They arranged us all in a circle around the room, in built-in chairs made for the choir. We all sat in the circle in silence for a few minutes, candles lit around us. And then the spunky hospitalero whispered to me, “Andie. Sing something.” Uhhhhh ok! What came out of me was Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” When I got to the chorus of Hallelujahs, everyone in that room started singing with me. Our voices were a chorus of echoes throughout the whole church. I hate to overuse the word “magical,” but... I don’t know how else to describe it. We had a few more moments of meditation, and then Ynez explained that instead of a stamp (we collect stamps pretty much everywhere we go on our pilgrim’s credential), their stamp is a hug and a “Buen Camino.” So everyone started hugging. Many people were crying. And the echos of “Buen Camino” hung in the air. If I didn’t experience it myself, I almost wouldn’t believe it.

Tomorrow we plan to walk another 25km, and then two more walking days after that before we reach Burgos and REST. Oh, how sweet it will be. But the journey is the point of this whole experience, so we will take each day as it comes and enjoy each little wonder along the way.