Friday September 24, 2010
Day 10 on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela
Najera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada
Dear Blog Readers,
Still unable to access the blog. Sending blogs home to Richa for posting. Can’t sign in, they think I’m an impostor trying to hack into my own blog.
Leave the hotel around 8 a.m. this morning after a quick breakfast. Making sure I get breakfast now. Last Monday walked the whole day without any food, only dried fruits, nuts and water because the town where I had to stop, was closed up tight, so all the Pilgrims walked on without getting anything to eat.
Steep steady climb out of the city pass the red clay cliffs, the history of these hamlets, villages, towns and cities are mind boggling - the visit to the Templars’ Cloister built right into the clay cliffs, with its jaw dropping interior and gold gilded altars are a sight to see. Trek pass several vineyards again, however today Camino leaves the Rioja region and continue to the next province in the area. After several hours pass the first potato field being harvested by a farmer. Vineyards are left behind. All morning rain threatens, but make it to the next town, 9 kms away without a drop of rain. Stop to get a sandwich but first pass a golf course where an entire community is built to support the course, however not one of the more than 50 plus high rise buildings are filled with tenants - a very ghost like area and sad to see, maybe the failed economy got to here too. Finally as I leave the cafe after lunch the heavens open up - not only rain but a nasty cold, biting wind. Travel through this for about an hour before the sun decides to beat back the dark clouds. See Santo Domingo de Calzada long before I get there. Have to walk pass a potato co-op. Yuck nothing like rotting potatoes to greet the Pilgrims. Made it to the city by 2:30 p.m. - Lovely place so going out to check the churches and restaurants. Trek 21.2 kms - give up on checking the steps. The knee brace work well and my trek is without pain. Check into a Hospice run by nuns - go a laundry mart to do the wash, yeah for small mercies! Hurray, finish my first 10 days, now only 30 to go - to date I have walked 215.8 kms. Thanks everyone for the well wishes and thoughts of how to get my lost photos!
Blessings from the Camino,
Yasmin
My thoughts for today - Giving thanks to my secret agent AF for the gift of scallop shells, they are doing a great job on our backpacks. And to Lorraine, super thanks for gifting me Psalm 23 and a pocket cross. I carry both with me everyday.
Yasmin, you are an inspiration!
ReplyDeleteAF