Day Ten - Najera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada - 21km

Today promised to be an easy day, only 21km and not too many hills. However, it rained heavily overnight and the red clay soil (that is so good for growing Rioja grapes) turned to a sticky mess and clung to our boots.

We only passed through two towns. The first, Azofra, was closed when we walked through. We did manage to find a coffee in a bar but that was about all that was available. The second town, Ciruena, really showed the problems that Spain has had in recent years with the financial crisis - the old part of town was run down but they had build hundreds of apartments and a golf course in the new town - virtually all of the apartments are empty and for sale and was just like a ghost town.

We then reached our destination, Santo Domingo de la Calzada. The entry to the town was pretty rough but the centre is very old and has a couple of Parador hotels and a Cathedral dating from the 11th century. There is a pretty unlikely story related to Dominic and some chickens. It's too long to explain but here is a link http://www.english.catedralsantodomingo.es/santo_domingo.html - as I said, it sounds pretty unlikely but is a nice story. They also keep chickens in the church today as a reminder of the supposed miracle

Tomorrow we travel to Belarado and stay in a small b&b that looks "interesting" - we found a nice restaurant to eat in tonight because we will soon be entering the wilderness of the "meseta" and there will be slim pickings on offer

One final thing - I had a shave. I planned to grow a beard until the end of the camino but it just got too itchy......... (this is Gary writing, not Karen)

Nearly there, just 582km left

The path goes on and on

Approaching Azofra

Coffee in Azofra

Who knows?

Sticky Rioja mud path

More mud and lots of vines

Path goes on and on

Hay bales

Ghost town of Ciruena

Never ending path to infinity

Water fountain in strange statue

Chickens in Cathedral

Karen made me do it