DAY 12

Santo Domingo de la Calzada to Belorado

We stayed in a private room in hostel last night in Santo Domingo de la Cazada and it was run by a guy who was a perfect host. He spoke very little English and my Spanish is really spotty, but he made us feel very welcomed. Our room was small and the air-conditioning didn’t work, but the dinner they made was so good. We believe his wife made the meals in their small kitchen in the back. They started off with a cold tomato soup called Salmorejo. It’s a little like gazpacho, but thicker and creamier and it’s served with Iberico Ham and boiled egg. Jim had Pollo en su Jugo and I had a type beef stew. They were delicious and probably one of the best meals we’ve had in Spain. When we get home I’d like to re-create the chicken and Salmorejo recipes. Who is up for a homemade Spanish meal?

​We left our hotel around 6:40 am. It was going to be hot day, so we skipped breakfast and hit the road. One of the things I love best about starting the Camino in the dark is getting to watch the sunrise. After about an hour and 20 minutes, we stopped for breakfast in Grañon. In the pictures you can see where we stopped. It was essentially a food truck, but there were wooden tables and chairs out on tree covered grass, and classical piano music played in the background. It was very civilized, and the food hit the spot. 

Although there were four additional villages we passed today, none of them had a proper place to have a beer. Since it was getting warm, it made sense to keep moving anyway. 

Overall, we hiked 14 miles in four hours and 26 minutes. It was a relatively flat hike with the ascent being only 767 feet. We are seeing more people walking the Camino because other trails are converging together. We are also seeing folks more than once so it is fun to strike up a conversation, find out where they are from, and a little about their journey. 

We are in Belorado which is another small village, however today there are vendors out in the square selling clothing, food, and nicknacks.  Because of that, there are a lot of people walking around and drinking in the cafes. We had some lunch and walked around. There are a lot of murals painted on buildings which cool and gives the town an artsy feel.

Tomorrow we head to San Juan de Ortega.