After the last two days the 20km today was almost like a rest day. You still have to do the hard yards though. The first section passed more vineyards and slowly climbed up to the village of Azofra. Here we had our obligatory cafe negro and bought our patata omelette bocodillo to eat later for lunch.

Today we achieved a milestone. Somewhere we passed our 200km walked mark, about one quarter of the way to Santiago. We are not sure where as we do a few of the optional extra walks.

From there we were on a wide country track passing through gently undulating farmland. The vineyards had given way to crops. For the first time there were many tractors working in the fields and passing us on the track. The wild flowers have almost all gone and there were very few poppies today. Maybe it’s because the fields were ploughed close to the track and where not there was an irrigation channel along the track. Today we saw hops being grown on there elaborate framework. Near the end of the day we passed an enormous warehouse with hundreds of crates stacked outside. Each crate about a metre cubed and full of patatas.

The second village we came to was interesting for a surprising reason. Ciruena has a population of 100 but accommodation for about 5000. The housing is all brand new, quite up market condominiums. But all empty and with many “sevende”, for sale, signs. There is an exclusive golf course, a large outdoor swimming pool and children’s playgrounds. This place was developed, in the middle of nowhere, as a resort but the “crisis economica” of Spain since 2008 killed it. The golf club now even allows pilgrims into the bar.

The track today was a long, long climb to Ciruena and a long decent to Santo Domingo de la Calzada. The track was very straight with only a few subtle changes in direction. It was all out in the open with very little shade and few drinking fountains. You could count the number of trees on one hand.

Saint Dominic dedicated his life to improving the route for pilgrims in the eleventh century. He built roads and bridges, a pilgrim hospital and a church. The church evolved over seven centuries to become the present cathedral. The tomb of St Dominic is in a chapel in the cathedral. In the cathedral there is a coop containing a live cock and hen.

Legend has it that a pilgrim couple and their son stopped at an inn here. The innkeeper’s daughter fancied the handsome lad but he rejected her advances. Incensed by his refusal she hid a goblet in his rucksack and reported him for stealing. The lad was caught and condemned to hang. The parents continued to Santiago and on their return found their son still on the gibbet and still alive. St Dominic had intervened to keep him alive. The parents rushed to inform the city official that their son was alive. The official who was roasting chicken for dinner scoffed at the news, retorting that their son was as alive as his roasted chickens. Whereupon the chickens stood up, crowed loudly and flew away. The miracle was not lost on the official who pardoned and freed the lad. The chickens in the cathedral today are descendants of the roasted chickens.

So many legends, so many miracles. It all happens on the Camino.

Ipod theme song of the day: Where have all the flowers gone? Peter, Paul and Mary.