We are still in the Rioja region, walking though the beautiful vinyards to Santo Domingo. We were high on a hilltop while the sun was still coming up – a perfect recipe for the tallest shadow!
Santo Domingo is a very cool old city, many of the buildings date back to as early as the 13th century. They have a tale they tell of a young man travelling from Hungary with his parents in the 14th century. He was unjustly accused of stealing a chalice and hanged. His parents, unaware of his fate continued to Santiago and on the return trip found him on the gallows but still alive thanks to the intervention of Santiago Domingo. His parents went to the sheriff to get him a pardon. The sheriff was in the middle of a feast said “your son is as dead as these chickens” and lifted the covers off the chicken platters. The chickens stood up and crowed and the young man pardoned. As a result of this the Cathedral in Santo Domingo has a cage we here there us always a live chicken. It’s in the cage pictured below.
It is a beautiful cathedral, even with a live chicken.
We came across this guy in thel cathedral. He seemed a bit out of place but we had to have a photo of the Lego Peregrino.
Attached to the cathedral is a tower we climbed despite our sore feet. The views were worth it.
We had another nice dinner and met a couple from New Mexico as well as a few people from South Africa. Amazing to meet such nice people from all over the world.
The Albergue was okay but it was our first experience in a room wit 26 people in it. The ear plugs worked really well but I still hope we can avoid this type of municipal in the future. Here’s a peak into the room…26 beds.