Monday 2 June 2014

Day 13 1 June from Najera to Santa Domingo de la Calzada

Eeeek... Rob insists that I go to a clinc/hospital and when we get there a young nurse can speak broken English.  She translates to the doctor who looks at my feet and asks where I am from.  Shaking her head they go the computer and translate from Spanish to English- one of  peregrinos dreaded problems, BURSITIS- She says " no more walking" and I wail, so she changes her diagnosis to some days of rest and new shoes... I get an injection, bandage and anti- inflammatories.


Lucklily we find a sports shop open on Sunday and I buy Keen Trekkers...very stylish!!! But at this stage I dont care, I want to finish the Camino, and these give my feet more room to walk in..


We take a taxi to a monastery called Santa Maria de Canas which is famous for Gregorian chanting and St Francis of Assissi visiting on his Camino journey - beautiful roses..


Noda comes with us..  She is an amazing healer, and has many stories - the one I love the most is when she was in Peru, and she is "told" to go and work with a Peruvian Shaman, to go into the lounge where she is staying and get someone to take her about 2 hours away.  She calls out, " does anyone speak English? " David steps forward, and says he knows he has to take her - when she gets to the Shaman he asks, "what took you so long? The owl told us you were coming.  You have a vision for me."  She goes into trance and tells him he has to build a retreat further up the Amazon ( which he does do)..


The church is amazing, the light pours in through natural original alabaster windows..


Our taxi driver Ignatious  joins us for mass where lay people sit.. Separated from the nuns .  The mass is in a small side chapel.


Noda is there too..


And Rob and I and a few other locals..most of the service is sung, and even though I don't understand more than two words, both Rob and I love the service , the simplicity and deep prayer singing take our breath away..


We go into the museum after ..


Walking into the church, sooo much gold ..


In the museum are some of the skulls (!!!) of the 11,000 virgins.. Don't know this story yet..
And some relics, original bones of martyrs..


Beautifully crafted crosses.. And masses of other art and emblems..


Back for Lunch at a local bar in Santo Domingo de la Calzada..pizza! With San Miguel local beer- delicious!


So many of the cafés/bars have place mats with the Camino route on them..


The church in Santo Domingo is famous for the Miracle of the cock - a cock and hen are kept in the cathedral to remind of the miracle. The legend goes that A pilgrim couple and their son stopped at an inn here on their way to Santiago.the pretty innkeepers daughter hid a silver goblet in the sons backpack whe he refused her advances. He was hanged, and the parents on their way back from Santiago found him hanging from the gallows but alive- they rushed to the sheriffs house and told him.  He was about to tuck into his roast chicken.  Upon hearing the news, he said that the son was no more alive than the cock he was about to eat.  Whereupon the fowl stood up and crowed.  The sheriff rushed to the gallows and cut the son down.  The miracle and many others was attributed to Santo Domingo.


An afternoon slow stroll though the streets in my new shoes..


Blue skies! But not for long...


We have supper with Muriel who has walked 1000 km ! From France.






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