Day Nine: Ventosa to Santo Domingo

This morning I woke up feeling well rested and ready to conquer the trail - the sun was shining, my cough subdued, and my feet barely throbbing. We stopped for a coffee on our way out if town and marched forward for two hours without stopping, which was needed because we had thirty three kilometers of ground to cover! The first town we came to was Najera (our intended destination yesterday ...) where we found a market to buy some fruit for the day. Don't get me wrong: I'm loving all the bread and wine and risotto and croquetas and pasta, but how about some fruits and vegetables?! 

After a few more hours of walking (and praying and reflecting) we arrived at a tiny town where we had lunch. I feel like my life is so simple these days: walk, pray, eat, walk, pray, eat, sleep -- not too bad. Getting started after lunch is always a little bit if a challenge, so we often give ourselves a pep talk filled with "we can do it"s and "just three more hours" -- we are also very good at giving ourselves praise, especially after we reach the top of a particularly steep climb. I also throw in a bunch of "we can do all things with The Lord who gives us strength". The last leg of today's walk took us through some gorgeous vineyards and rolling hills. And finally, we arrived at Santo Domingo. 

I've been so excited to reach Santo Domingo, because it is home to the chicken church! Never heard of the chicken church? Well there are actual live chickens inside this church that live there full time. Why, you ask? Because if the miracle! According to the locals, many many many years ago a father, mother, an son were walking the Camino when tey stopped at an inn to spend the night. The innkeepr's daughter fell for the son, but when the young pilgrim refused her advances, she became angered; she hid a gold chalice inside his bag as he slept and reported it stollen after he departed the next morning. The police seized the boy and charged him with theft, condemning him to hang for his crime. Unable to bear the death of their son, the parents left the town and the boy was hung. Weeks later when the parents returned through the town, they found their son still alive hanging at the gallows, said to be saved by Santo Dimingo. The parents ran to the home of the mayor who was just sitting down to dinner to tell him their son was alive, but the mayor replied that their son was no more alive than the chicken on his plate -- and with that the chicken on his plate rose and began to cluck. The mayor declared it a miracle, pardoned the boy if his crime, and the family was reunited. It is said that the chickens who reside in the church today are descendants of the miracle chicken. Pretty cool, huh? 

After checking into our Albergue, Vera and I headed in search I food (which we found) and then went to check out the famous chicken church and attend mass. Now, the people at the front of our Albergue told us that mass started at 7:30 outside of the cathedral. So at 7:30 we are outside and see that there is a novena that begins tonight and that the rosary starts at 7:30 with mass at eight. No problem -- we go inside and grab a seat ... and the church begins to fill. Person after person comes spilling ino the church until tier are people standing in the back and in the aisles. And they are not pilgrims, but real people of the parish. I figured this was because of the start if the novena. Soon the rosary is over and a choir begins to sing -- beautiful harmonies as the servers walk in followed by four priests and women holding candles and people carrying huge flower arrangements and a cross bearer .... and .... a casket. Oh no. Are we at a funeral? Surely we are not at a funeral. Oh yeah. We were at a funeral. How do you get up in the middle of a funeral and leave?! And so tonight we honored Maria Thomas, a loving mother and sister who spent her life working for the parish and especially loved the pilgrims of the Camino, one of her greatest accomplishments being the completion of her own Camino de Santiago. 

After "mass" we headed back to our Albergue where we ran into the Italian youth group we stayed with two nights ago -- they are at a different Albergue than us tonight, and tomorrow is their last day of walking before they must return home; so we made plans to meet for breakfast before we all head out on our separate ways. And now I am tucked into my bed, listening to the snores of the guy in the bunk next to me who was sleeping when I left for dinner (aka I hope he is okay!) 

Here are a few pictures from today: 

Soak in that warm sun and fresh mountain air!! 

Oh hey -- only 582 kilometers to go, which means we have already walked 230 kilometers!! 

No place for a sign? That's okay. We'll just put an arrow on this rock ... 

The Cathedral of Santo Domingo! 

They're in there ... I can hear them!!! 

Chickens!!!! 

And my bed for tonight. 

It's been a long day. I'm looking forward to a good night's rest and another beautiful day tomorrow. There are so many people I am keeping in prayer as I walk -- tomorrow will be a day of prayer for the healing of those who are sick (body, mind, and spirit). 

Buen Camino. 

Jena