We stayed at the Hotel Real Monasterio San Zilo, a 4 star hotel where the bedrooms are all converted monk’s rooms – very well appointed and comfortable. I can’t imagine they were this nice “back in the day”.
The view from my room was a very pleasant courtyard and the corridors connecting all rooms encircled yet another courtyard. The Monastery itself had a fabulous church and an ornate organ. According to historical documents, from c948AD, the monastery was first dedicated to St John the Baptist and later to St Zilo. In the mid-19th century the jesuits established a secondary school in the monastery – this was the first secondary school in Spain.
As we left this morning, past the imposing original doors of the Monastery, and a strange water source with two sluice gates, the sun was shining and the forecast lack of rain was encouraging. The first roundabout contained a Monumento en homenaje al Peregrino as we ventured on to what be a quite straight path to our destination.
The scenery today was largely homogeneous, through fields of cereal crops on either side. The path though has some interesting history – it mostly follows the Roman road – Via Aquitainia, sometimes with the original road at the surface. Originally, during Roman times, this road connected Narbonne with Bordeaux, passing through Toulouse (approx 400km long). Later the route was extended from Bordeaux to Astorga. During the Middle Ages this road served as a pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, until the 11th–12th centuries when the modern French Way largely supplanted it. As we walked, we could see the Picos de Europa in the northern distance (4th picture), some still snow capped.
There is a picture of a barn as it was the only thing different on the walk for quite some time. We appreciated that the Romans liked straight roads, but a few curves or turns would have increased the enjoyment factor. The weather held, with sunshine for most of what was a short walk, until we arrived at our destination – too early to check in (in fact still before noon) so we took the opportunity for a drink and a chat to fellow pilgrims.
