516 more kilometers till we reach Santiago de Compestela
We left Boo after a quick cup of cafe con leche with plans to stop on the way for a tortilla. In order to cross the Pas River we had to take the train one stop as pedestrians are not allowed to cross the railroad bridge. The train is free for pilgrims to ride one stop. Since we had a long day of walking ahead and it was raining, we decided to stay on the train an additional two stops.
We had to walk by a large chemical plant for at least 3 k. It it was called Solvay and they produce soda ash. It was an huge plant. Apparently they have 9000 employees world wide. We walked by their employee housing , a school etc. It wasn’t the most scenic part of the day but it was interesting. It started raining soon after we left Boo but it was a soft rain and we knew it wouldn’t last the whole day.
After walking another 15 k through rolling countryside, we made our way into the historic town of Santillana Del Mar.
Santillana Del Mar is a medieval town that grew up around the Collegiate Church of Santa Juliana. It is known as one of the prettiest towns in Spain and it really is beautiful. Because of its beauty it is on many tourist bus stops in northern Spain and has many tourists around town during the day. In the evening when tour busses leave, it is much more quiet. It is also very close to the Altamira Caves, which are home to some of the oldest and best preserved prehistoric art drawings in the world. We didn’t go there but it sounds pretty cool.
We stayed in a cute pension owned by a wonderful hostess named Maria Jesus. It was a spotless room and very comfortable. After doing our usual chores (laundry) we headed out to explore. We ran into Pao from Taiwan who was also staying in town. I was hoping to buy a pair of socks, as I left my extra pair on the line at the last albergue. We saw a crowd of people heading to the church and we joined them thinking it was now open and we could get a look inside. When we got to the door we found out it was a funeral service. We had seen posters of a service but I hadn’t noticed the date. We have passed thru several towns were flyers are posted announcing funeral service for someone who has passed away. We didn’t want to wait around for 8.00 pm when the restaurants opened so we had a pizza at a place that closed at 6:00. It was delicious. I think we are eating fewer meals while here after walking all day, but when we do eat we are hungry. Maria Jesus provided a teapot and we had a cup of herbal tea and went to sleep. It was a nice day in a special town.