FINALLY! Our first rest day...yeah!

A day to recouperate, restore and renew. A day to wash, dry and reorganize.  The hotel we are staying in here in Santo Domingo de la Calzada had a nice breakfast for us to start the day off.  Afterwards we headed to the laundromat.  We wanted to get there early as there are only two machines.  A load of wash here costs 3.50€ Or about $4.44 and to dry  2.00€ or $2.44.  The washer dispenses soap automatically so no need to buy soap.  Very convenient!  While we were waiting for our wash, Lee made friends with a little cat.  She even went a bought it some milk.  See picture below.

We are staying in the oldest section of the town.  You can see (and hear) the Cathedral's bell tower from our room.  At night it is lite up and it's a beautiful site! This town is named after Saint Dominic who spent his life improving the route for pilgrims in the 11th century, building roads and bridges. His birth name was Domingo Garcia and was born in 1019 in humble surroundings in Viloria, just up the road from here. Many miracles are attributed to Saint Dominic and his spirit is still very much alive here in this city.  Embellished over the years, this story is one of the more endearing stories along the Way of St. James.

Legend has it that a pilgrim couple and their son stopped at an Inn here on their way to Santiago.  The pretty innkeeper's daughter had her eye on the handsome lad, but the devout young fellow thwarted her advances. Incensed by his refusal she hid a silver goblet in his backpack and reported him for stealing it. The innocent lad was caught and condemned to hang. Some accounts suggest the parents continued on their way, oblivious of the fate of their son.  Upon their return from Santiago they found him still hanging on the gallows but miraculously still alive thanks to the intervention of Saint Dominic. They rushed to the sheriff's house and found his lordship just sitting down for dinner. Upon hearing the parents, he retorted that their son was no more alive than the chicken he was about to eat, whereupon the fowl stood up on the dish and crowed loudly. The miracle was not lost on the sheriff who rushed back to the gallows to cut down the poor lad, who was given a full pardon. To this day a hen and a rooster have been kept in a cage in the Cathedral commemorating the miracle.

We hope you enjoy the pictures we took from around town today.  We head to Belorado in the morning.