Santo Domingo de Silos

Santo Domingo de Silos, a two day bus trip from Burgos and well worth every minute spent! An isolated hamlet only 50 kilometers but 60-90 minutes from Burgos by afternoon country mini-bus stopping virtually whenever someone raises his hand, return only next morning…before the cloisters are opened – so it requires two days to enjoy. The church is modern but the cloisters, beautiful 11th century Romanesque capitals, are only half the reason for coming. The place has a fascinating history from the time of the Visigoths, including El Cid, up until the desamortización eclesiástica de Mendizábal 1835-37 when the clergy were forced to leave and the building fell into disrepair until rejuvenated in the 1990's in part due to the recordings of Gregorian chants of the priests became very very popular. The chants and the cloister are reason enough to go. Rather uninspired information concerning Santo Domingo de Silos may be found here, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbey_of_Santo_Domingo_de_Silos A better account may found in "A Pilgrim in Spain" by Christopher Howse, pp. 63-67. Christopher Howse is an assistant editor of The Daily Telegraph and a regular contributor to The Spectator and The Tablet. He did the footwork around Spain and the research in the library to offer a wonderful book concerning holy sites in Spain, a narrative which includes both the Camino Francés and Santiago de Compostela. A good read and small enough to take with you on the Camino!
PS When planing a rest day, say in Burgos or in León, do consider that both are very interesting, attractive, and offer much for the pilgrim to see and do, meaning, you may walk around town as much on your "rest" day as a day on the Camino. A bus ride to such a marvelos place SDlS may perhaps be a solution.