Video Stage 9: Najera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada | Camino Frances with Jhonatan Barrios
Stage 9: Najera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada | Camino de Santiago Frances with Jhonatan Barrios
Jhonatan Barrios invites everyone to join him on Stage 9 of the Camino de Santiago Frances, from Nájera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada, a 21-kilometre stretch. He walked this part of the Camino between 26 April and 26 May 2022.
In his video, Jhonatan shares his experience as he walked, marvelling at the beautiful scenery of barley and wheat fields painted in shades of green and yellow. He met two fellow pilgrim friends before reaching Santo Domingo de la Calzada, and another just before settling into the hostel.
At the end of the video, he also tells one of the most popular legends of the Camino de Santiago: the story of the rooster and the hen of Santo Domingo de la Calzada.
He hopes you enjoy this journey as much as he did!
Stage 9: Najera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada with Jhonatan Barrios
Jhonatan Barrios left the Puerta de Nájera hostel and headed towards Santo Domingo de la Calzada. He had around 20 kilometres left, which would take about four and a half hours. Although the day dawned a little less cold than the previous one, Jhonatan woke up with a sore throat and an aching body. Despite feeling unwell, he decided to carry on with the ninth stage of the Camino de Santiago.
He began his walk together with a group of Italian pilgrims who asked him to walk with them for a few kilometres. They set off from Nájera, skirting the monastery of Santa María la Real, and faced a downhill stretch alongside a vineyard under a clearer sky than the day before. Jhonatan hoped the sun would not be too strong so he could walk comfortably.
The first village before Santo Domingo de la Calzada was Azofra, where they stopped for a bite to eat. After a short rest, they carried on, crossing wheat fields and muddy stretches, until reaching Ciruña, where they saw a pilgrim statue. There he ran into friends from Madrid and one of the three Mexicans he had started the Camino with.
Finally, they arrived in Santo Domingo de la Calzada, where they stayed at the Casa de la Cofradía del Santo hostel. Jhonatan also looked into the local legend of the rooster and the hen and the history of the town, founded by Domingo García. At the end of the day, he had dinner with fellow pilgrim friends and planned to rest and look for tea and medicine for his throat before the next stage of the Camino.
