Camino Day 8 - Ventosa to Santo Domingo de La Calzada

Usual wake up etc. at 6:00 but the tourists stayed in bed so we had more room to get dressed and packed and there were not so many people trying to use the bathroom at the same time.
On the road at 6:45 since no breakfast offered. A cool morning and not quite light yet but at least no rain so we moved quite fast. As we continued we came to the top of a rise and saw the sun shining on some mountains across a valley from us, white with snow. I don't know if the photo shows it but it was really beautiful. The Camino continually surprises me with these sights as we spend many hours each day walking through nature.

We arrived in Nájera after about 2 hours, found a café open and had a cup of coffee and a croissant. Nothing moving in the town since it is May 1 and a holiday here. A pretty town but we did not see anything to make us stop very long.
Out of the town and then we found we were walking with a lot of local people. We decided they were not Peregrinos but just local people out for a day hike on the holiday. They had small backpacks and were in groups. We seemed to be moving faster than them and overtook them quite soon. The other Peregrinos were also moving along at a good speed.

After about another 2 hours we came to the village of Azofra and stopped again for a sandwich and a beer. The sandwich was big so I only ate half of it and will keep the rest for lunch tomorrow.

As we planned today's walk we had found an alternative route from the one in our guidebooks that would avoid a town that did not look very interesting. It would save us a climb and make the walk about 2km shorter. We decided to try it. We found the turning and set off. Since this was not part of the official Camino there were no signs and all we had was a poor map and the compass on my phone. It started fine along farm roads between vineyards and wheat fields. Then it became muddy and messy but we pressed on. It got no worse or better but after about another 2 hours we came out on the service road of a freeway under construction. Since today is a holiday there was no traffic but it was not very nice walking. Finally we ended up on a main road where we had to walk on the shoulder watching out for traffic for about 3 km before we arrived in Santo Domingo and rejoined the Camino. As we got back on the Camino we met the same people we had walked with earlier so no time saved or lost just much more mud on our shoes and trousers!
We made our way into town and stopped at an Albergue run by Cistercian nuns. It is a very old building and our room has just 3 beds, no bunks for a change. It only costs €5 per night. However it is incredibly cold and Joseph, who is still suffering from a bad cold decides to go to a hotel across the street for the night rather than risk getting worse. Werner and I will tough it out. I don't think it can be colder than our bedrooms were as children in England.

It is however too cold everywhere to shower so I decide to take a walk in the town and visit the cathedral. It is interesting especially the legend as to why they keep a rooster in a coop in the cathedral, but since I have forgotten how to add a link to a blog you will have to google Santo Domingo de La Calzada cathedral rooster to get the story. It crowed several times while I was in the cathedral

The rooster is there but I could not get a picture.

The pictures all look like nice weather but the temperature is in the low 40's
I then stopped in a bar with Josef for a beer before meeting again in the lobby of his hotel to start the blog and let the pictures synchronize from the phone over the wifi there, since the nuns at the Albergue don't have wifi.
Walking around town I spotted this Fuente (fountain)

At 6:30 I went to the convent chapel which is in a modern (heated) building behind the old one we are staying in, for vespers. I never saw the nuns who were off to the side but they chanted very nicely and I recorded some of it. I think it was in Latin but could have been Spanish. My blogging skills do not allow me to include a link, but perhaps later. I met Werner for dinner where we had roast lamb as one of the courses of the peregrino menu. Delicious!

Back at the Albergue Werner and I sat in front of a wood fire in what was probably the original dining hall and chatted with other pilgrims. Spanish, Canadian, German I think. Then to bed as usual around 09:30, hoping our sleeping bags will keep us warm tonight.

We learned that this Albergue is only open from May to September so today is the first day since last year. No wonder the thick stone walls are so cold if the building has sat unheated and unused all winter!
The steps up to our room on the second floor were not exactly built for old nuns. I am not surprised they moved out! To get to our room we had to turn left halfway up the first flight. Very easy to miss a step.

I managed to stay warm with my sleeping bag and a blanket but Werner said he was cold and awake all night.
We have now covered 226 km - 140 miles from St Jean
The weather forecast keeps promising warmer weather but it never comes. Tomorrow we have an easier day with only 23 km (14 miles) in our plan.

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