May 22, 2015
Tonight this is where I am sleeping. It looks pretty bleak but actually it is in this cool old church with a common living and dining area that is beautiful and cozy. We will all work together tonight to prepare a communal meal and attend a pilgrim blessing with the resident priest who will take us around the interior of the church and recount its history. They don’t know how bad a cook I am so I still got in.
Today I visited the cathedral at Santo Domingo with its priceless artistic and architectural works, but perhaps more famous for its 
chicken story. To make a long legend short, a young pilgrim was unjustly hung for stealing and due to a miracle was still alive a month later when his parents came looking for him. They ran to tell the local reeve and he replied that the boy was no more alive than the chicken dish he was eating, at which point the cock got up off his plate and crowed. For hundreds of years now two live chickens have been kept in the sanctuary to commemorate this miracle.
Miraculous Chickens
I sleep in a room with no less than 15 men tonight. If any cocks get up and crow they will be on the receiving end of my hiking stick.
P.S. Also received the excellent news today that “This is the last hill” Kirk will be flying back to rejoin the Camino at Burgos this weekend. We are all very pleased for him.
Mary Magdalene
Cozy common room
Iglesia de San Juan Bautista – where I sleep tonight
