Camino a Santiago Day 10: Santo Domingo de la Calzada to Belorado

Distance: 22.5km (14.14mi)

Elevation gain: 363m (1,190ft)

Duration: 5hrs

Steps: 31,474

Calories: 1,384

There is a private home built into the side of a mountain!! And a medieval fair of sorts. Oh and really cool mural art. That in a nutshell is Belorado (pop 1,800).

There is also the front part of a something that looks like an old Volkswagen Combi sticking out of a stone wall in the back terrace of my hotel. Never mind the XVI century church in the background with a dozen or so stork’s nests perched on top. It’s all rather bizarre. But it works.

Today’s 14 mile (22.5k) walk from Santo Domingo de la Calzada was a bit of a slog. It was to be fair, easy enough from a terrain standpoint. I did leave a bit late since I was intent on enjoying the breakfast offered by my Parador, which did not start till 7:30am.

In any case, once I started walking, all sorts of niggles started to manifest on my feet. First I was worried that I was developing a stress fracture. Then plantar fasciitis. Such are the things that go through your head when you’re a third of the way into a 32 day, 500-mile jaunt across Spain.

I did wear a different pair of shoes today for the first time since I arrived. My trusty Saucony Guides, I’ve been running in forever and a day. As the terrain has flattened, I figured I could put away the trail shoes for a while and get the benefit of the extra cushioning. Once freed from my paranoid ailments, all was good.

It was hot again, but somehow not too terrible. As we crossed over from La Rioja into Castilla y León, a giant marker pointed out the border. It was kind of funny. Walking over the Pyrenees it would have been easy to miss the stone marker for the border from France into Spain. Here, cross into a different province and they’re sure to point it out. In a very, you can’t ignore it sort of way.

One of the first villages we encountered across the border, Vitoria de La Rioja (Pop 41), prominently boasted itself as the place where Santo Domingo was born. The saint behind the miracle of the singing roasted chickens, Santo Domingo is actually a lot more than that. Born in 1019 he is one of the most revered saints for pilgrims, as he dedicated his life to helping those on the Way to Santiago, by promoting the creation of infrastructure such as hospitals, bridges and water fountains to facilitate the long road ahead.

I imagine those XI century pilgrims walking the same roads I am today. While they did not benefit from all the tech gear we do, I wonder if they, Iike I, smiled in gratitude whenever clouds appeared on the horizon, blocking their skin from the scorching sun. Alas, this XXI century pilgrim is definitely grateful for the ocasional cloud cover. And also for the somewhat cooler temperatures forecast for tomorrow, when I have a long, but very cool excursion planned towards the end of the day.

For now my clothes are littered all over my little hotel room. It was laundry day and I air dry all my hiking clothes, so it’s a bit of a mess. Fortunately this is all stuff that dries quickly so I’m sure it will all be ready to be re-packed by morning. At least it better be.

Accommodation: La Huella del Camino. I really liked my stay here. The rooms are simple, but very large and comfortable. There is no air-con. But there is a balcony I used to hang my laundry, which they will do for you for a few euros. The woman who manages the place was very kind and helpful, bringing my luggage up to my room, which was really appreciated at the end of a long and exhausting day. An absolute steal at €35. Double room, single use.

Lunch: La Huella del Camino. The food here was very good. Like most places, they only offer a Menu del Día, rather than a la Carte options. It was €14 for three courses and a glass of wine. A big selling point here is the outdoor patio, pictured above.