Day 14 - Swimming Pools and Champagne : Santo Domingo de la Calzada to Belorado

We woke peacefully at 5:30 in the convent, packed, and made our way through the streets of Santo Domingo in the early morning light to the edge of town. 

 Unfortunately none of the cafes were open at 6 am, so we decided to take advantage of the cooler morning mist to hike toward Granon, where we hoped to have a morning meal. 

 

Leaving Santo Domingo we crossed over the river Oja on a beautiful bridge before the trail resumed its course alongside the highway - which was somewhat uninspiring. Thankfully, in Granon we were fortunate enough to enjoy a large breakfast, and after my second croissant, I spent time playing with a pile of kittens which seemed to have come from every direction, looking for food and love. As we passed through the town we also got to play with two overly friendly dogs. 

 

As the morning progressed we continued to enjoy the cooler weather. Today's trail primarily took us along the roadway, through farmland and past a number of sunflower fields, many of which had begun to wilt and fade from their former glory. Our slow trek through the towns of Redecilla, Viloria, and Vilamayor also took us out of the province of La Rioja, and into one of Spain's largest provinces, Castilla y Leon. It should take us around a week to cross this province, and 50% of our pilgrimage will take place here. As we walked we began to see signs for Burgos, one of the main stops on the route of the Camino Frances, we well as new types of signage which indicated our location and position along the Camino route.

 

 

We arrived in Belorado, the Roman town where we planned to spend tonight around noon, which meant we were about two hours too early to check in. We sat outside the albergue, Cuatro Cantones, ate some snacks, and got caught up on our journals and post cards. 

By 2:30 we were registered, has our passports stamped, and were shown into our dorm room, which contained 4 bunks. Our room was clean, had space for our bags, room to move around in, and each bunk had its own set of plugs for recharging devices. We shared the room with a lively group of outgoing Australians and one tour guide. The remainder of the albergue seemed to be filled with two tour groups who were beginning their Camino the next day. After doing our daily chores we went to the albergue's adjoined covered pool and dangled our feet in the cool water.

 

In the afternoon we visited the church, Iglesia de Santa Maria, whose bell gables above the main entrance reminded us more of Latin American rather than Spanish churches. On the roof of the church were several stork nests - though no storks. Inside, a beautiful golden alter piece dominated the simple church. 

We also were fortunate enough to be able to visit the Barrio el Corro, the main town square, and the convent of Sta. Clara - each of which was very beautiful. 

 

We also found time to wander through the hills surrounding the town, explored the ruins of an ancient castle and caves there, and enjoy the views from above. All in all Belorado is a pleasant and quiet town to spend the afternoon in.

By evening we returned to the albergue, and delighted in the eccentricity of a vending machine with champaign in it. As such we shared a small bottle while drafting today's blog and uploading pictures. 

 

 

Afterwards we enjoyed a pasta dinner with the three Australians who were running the Camino, typically stopping to camp at night, and planned on completing their journey in 16 days! It was interesting to hear their perspective of the Camino, and think about how different the journey could be. By all estimates we appear to be between 550 and 575 km from Santiago, which means we have completed over 200 km on our trek so far!
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Practical information:

Distance: 22.4 km
Max Temperature: 25°C
Accommodations: Cuatro Cantones