Santo Domingo de Silos

[Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda]

Santo Domigo de Silos is well worth the effort to get there... it is
nestled in the middle of hills/mountains and surrounded by scenery that
feels like a movie. In fact, right outside the town there is a gorgeous
national park (La Yecla?) that includes an impressive gorge and, when
we were there in june, mountain eagles

the people of Silos love their monastery and were very helpful when we
drove up looking for a place to stay. I don't remember the name of our
hotel. it was one listed in the Confraternity's red handbook for 2003,
but there are several very nice hotels up and down the main road. the
hotels all have information on the times that you can join the monks
for prayer, such as night prayer (which we did) and morning mass (which
we also did). you can tour & walk through parts of cloister ancient
monastery, and they have a lovely gift shop where I requested mass
intentions for my family back home. don't miss the mural of Jesus on
the road to Emmaus dating from the 11th? century, picturing Jesus as a
pilgrim with a sachel with a shell on it!

I found the whole experience very holy and renewing... and praying with
the monks was a very special blessing.

may it be so for you, too!
maria

On Tuesday, September 16, 2003, at 10:51  AM, Lindsay & David wrote:

> Dear friends of the Camino,
>
> My small group (4) hopes to begin our pilgrimage with a visit to Santo
> Domingo de Silos. The monastery restrictions (no women, 3 nights
> minimum)
> preclude us from staying there. Does anyone know of a good hotel or
> hostel
> or refuge where we might spend a night?
>
> Also transportation from Madrid, to Burgos. Is this on a train route,
> or is
> bus the only mode?
>
> Thank you for your consideration,
>
> David
>
>