Day 12

We left Nejera at about 8 am...after breakfast at the cafe.  Toasted french bread and coffee!  We walked 7 km and had another coffee, bought a few things for lunch , yogurt and bananas and nuts.  Weather was cool again. We met a few different people that we hadn´t seen before.  We arrived in >Santo Domingo and checked out the municipal albergue - na da! too many people in too many bunk beds.  So we wandered on to the hotel across the street - we decided to find something cheaper than the 35 euros they wanted.  We eventually decided to stay in one of the 2 paradores in town.  A bargain for such luxury at 45 euros each.  We do have to share beds but we are ok with that.  The sheets are lovely and internet works!  The building used to be a convent.  The main rooms are very beautiful archetechtually.  We just wish we looked like we belonged here instead of looking like pilgrims in hiking clothes. We had fantastic showers and did some laundry in the sink with a plug for a change!  Then we had a nice bowl of pasta with prawns - along with beer and wine.  We went out for awhile to see what was happening - locals everywhere lining up for free wine and tapas.  We went to have a tour of the cathedral - which started at 9pm....we got there and nothing!  No tour, church locked, nobody there!  This seems to be a pattern. we have gone to 24 hr grocery stores to find them closed too!   It was getting chilly and we were tired - so back to our parador4 where we mat a lady in the internet room - from Gibsons >B.C.