Santo Domingo de Silos to Covarrubias, 16.6 km

After our jaunt to the gorge this morning we set off on today’s stage rather belatedly at 10:30 with a cold wind, a grey sky and a long way to go without sustenance

There’s a promise of rain at 11:00 – and hopefully it will be as inaccurate as it has been for the last few stages, but the sky doesn’t look very promising.

We’re on a track pretty much straight away, once again shared with the Camino del Cid. We’re taking a short stage but don’t expect to find any amenities until we reach our destination in 17 km.

At 4 km there’s a huge hill to be climbed and as soon as we reach the top, we’re going down. But not far until we go up again, and so a pattern is formed – down a bit up a lot. 

The continuing grey sky seems appropriate as I listen to the UK local election results – which aren’t entirely surprising – but nevertheless hugely concerning. 

I’ve just met the first hiker on this trail – a Danish woman, walking in the opposite direction and following the Camino del Cid. After a brief chat she rushes on.

I’m finding the track quite difficult today. Most of it is large loose stones that I find so uncomfortable.  We reach the village of Retuerta at 12 km and stop for a brief rest before attacking another steep climb, past a donkey sanctuary and then back down again and finally find myself on a lovely flat grassy path, running between vines and crops and then past cherry orchards and finally alongside the wide Rio Arlanza. 

The rain starts just as I cross a bridge over the river to enter the town of Covarrubias and immediately there is a bar that I’ve been dreaming of for the past 10 km – not a particular bar, any one will do.  As we enter the rain gains momentum and there’s a real downpour. Yes!  We made it in perfect time, and they serve an excellent lunch, and they have an apartment upstairs that we can have for the night. 

Covarrubias is another beautiful good sized town with ancient buildings, many plazas, lots of greenery and a really nice friendly vibe – it feels like a town that values its inhabitants and welcomes visitors, unlike Santo Domingo which was beautiful but somehow a bit cold and empty. 

Whilst I was walking I received a wonderful message from Friar Ángel. It made me feel quite emotional and very special. What a very decent and considerate man he is.