Day 16

Cirueña to Redecilla del Camino - 16.3 kms
26 April 2019

We had a lovely start to our day by having a communal breakfast back at the neighbouring albergue. Very friendly hosts and nourishing food. Weatherwise it was fine and sunny but cool - the hills were still dusted with snow. My temperature app said that it was 8 degrees in Cirueña when we set out but felt like 4 deg. The wind was sharp and we wore extra layers for the first since crossing the Pyrenees. The whole of our day took us through vast landscapes of crops, and the skyscapes were wonderful too with huge white clouds. It's just amazing that we're actually on this walk seeing such landscapes as we did today. We hardly seemed to have started our day when we crested a rise and saw Santo Domingo de Calzada in front of us where we spent an hour or so visiting the Iglesia Catedral de Santo Domingo de la Calzada - Cathedral of St Dominic of Calzada - and it's museum/gallery. St Dominic was born in 1019 and decided to devote his life to God but as he was rejected by the monasteries he lived in the forest as a hermit. From his home in the forest he saw the difficulties that the pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela were experiencing so spent the rest of his life helping pilgrims. This year marks the millennium since his birth. In the Cathedral is a hen house which was built in the 14th century. It always has a live rooster and hen - always white - a constant reminder of miracle of a pilgrim who had been unjustly hung.
For the rest of our walk we were battling a head wind again but it didn't spoil our walk in any way. It was invigorating to be in the midst of such beautiful rolling country.
We had a very welcome lunch break at the village of Grañón before coming on to Redecilla del Camino where we are staying the night in a hostel.

The church in Cirueña

The morning light as we set off from Cirueña made the houses glow

Landscapes between Cirueña and Santo Domingo de la Calzada

Santo Domingo de la Calzada in the distance.

Walking into Santo Domingo de la Calzada we passed this potato sorting shed which reminded us of Wecks at Patumahoe.

 Snow on the hills.

Walking into Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo Cathedral

The hens in the Cathedral

Mosaic piece in the Cathedral

San Domingo de la Calzada - St Dominic 

A copy of the  Codex Calixtinus -  the first guide to the Camino written in the 12th century.

Art in the Cathedral museum 

Walking out of Santo Domingo de la Calzada

The bridge over the Rio Oja. St Domingo built the first bridge across this river to help the pilgrims.

Our pathway between Santo Domingo and the next village of Grañón

We took the alternative route into Grañón 

A first view of Grañón

We had a welcome lunch break at a cafe opposite the Church of St John the Baptist in Grañón

Calle Mayor - the main street of Grañón

Between Grañón and  Redecilla del Camino

Looking back up to Grañón

'Forget the destination & just enjoy'

Not far from Redecilla del Camino we crossed from La Rioja region, a very small region, into the Castilla y Leon region, the largest region in Spain.

Now in the Castilla y Leon region

Walking  into Redecilla del Camino

Pappy's house is in Redecilla del Camino - I'm sure he will be very happy here as its right in the centre of 'town'.

Our hostel for tonight.