Walking the Camino de Santiago
The Cathedral square of the town of Santo Domingo de la Calzada was crowded with Confirmands and their families and godparents. We knew we wouldn’t have much time, but we ducked into the Cathedral itself to visit the saint. His story resonates pretty strongly with me. I won’t bore you with the details (that’s what Wikipedia is for), but here’s […]
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Imagine our surprise when we entered the Cathedral square in Santo Domino de la Calzada and were greeted with this! As it turns out, Confirmations were being celebrated that day, and we would only have a short time in the Cathedral before the beginning of the rite. Well, any Sacrament trumps a sacramental, even a pilgrimage, so we were happy […]
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From a nearby sign, we read “Since 1968, this house has been used as a hostel for pilgrims and as the headquarters of the oldest religious brotherhood to assist pilgrims on the route to Santiago which was founded by Santo Domingo de la Calzada in the 11th century. … In the courtyard the chickens are kept which are used to […]
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You might well be wondering why the arms of the town of Santo Domingo de la Calzada have chickens on them. Lions and bears and eagles are more usual for this sort of thing – and indeed the lion of León and the castle of Castile also feature. But why chickens? Well, therein lies a tale. The legend is quite […]
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I cannot remember taking this photo, and I certainly don’t know if this is part of some monument or just a plinth on a highway bridge. But for me, this image displays one of the deep strands of the Camino. There is a dignity and a quiet majesty surrounding structures in decay. They speak of the past with weary visages […]
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After the glorious vistas of La Rioja and the jewel-like views of Santo Domino de la Calzada, it’s a bit of a let-down to actually arrive in town. The Camino winds its way through an industrial and warehouse district towards the center of town, and it’s not exactly scenic. I mean, unless you like crates and machinery. Date: 09 April […]
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Where most medieval towns are on the high ground, snugged around a defensible hill, or located in a narrow and easily defensible bit of land, the city of Santo Domingo de la Calzada is in a river valley, open to the world. It’s defense seems to be that it really is difficult to see until you are very close. Or […]
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At last, we have come to the city of the holy saint, Santo Domingo de la Calzada. Because the town is in a river valley and the land is so undulating, it’s hard to see it until you’re practically on top of it. It’s always exciting when you finally arrive! Lunch awaits. Date: 09 April 2016 Place: In view of […]
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And then, out of nowhere, we were buzzed by a small aircraft. It was flying so low that I thought it was trying to land in the nearby field. I mean, it’s not exactly flying monkeys, but I’m going to assume that it somehow fits into today’s Wizard of Oz theme. Date: 09 April 2016 Place: Between Cirueña and Santo […]
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We continue our Oz theme from a couple of days ago in this absolutely gorgeous vista of endlessly rolling hills as we search for the fabled city of… Santo Domingo de la Calzada. This is a city where, so the legends go, “the streets are paved with chorizo and jamon, the fountains flow with vino tinto and the river is […]
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