Murias de Rechivaldo to Ponferrada

Hiking was the answer – can’t remember what the question was. – unknown

Day 28 – Murias de Rechivaldo to Foncebadon – 13.0 Miles

June 12, 2023

E: We enjoyed a vegetarian group pilgrim dinner last night with 2 people from Florida, an Italian that speaks French and English, 3 French people and the owner who also speaks English, French and Spanish.  The pumpkin and onion soup and vegetable pasta with a nice desert…graham cracker crust with lemon and coconut layers…was amazing. All made from scratch.

The landscape is getting different now. We enjoy this section and the upcoming Galicia area. We’re back to interesting and pleasant views, rolling hills, lovely ancient stone walls and lots of green due to rains this week. We were super lucky not to have to be walking in the rain or even having much rain at all, up until a few nights ago. It has been sprinkling when we’re walking the last couple of days and pretty strong thunderstorms with lightning in the the evenings lately. We purposely got an early start today since we were headed up into the mountains and storms were in the forecast. It worked well, as the first round of storms came through shortly after we arrived. At 4:20pm it was 58 degrees. We are at 4,700 feet in Foncebadon and will climb to over 4,900 feet in the morning.

We are continuing to meet wonderful people from the Netherlands, Germany and have been following 2 French women who have been walking 2 weeks every year together from France toward Santiago. Every time we meet up we are in a bar so we have been teasing each other and saying we would meet them at the next bar! (On the Camino a bar and a café are the same thing)

Tomorrow is Cruz de Fierro where I will be dropping a stone that was given to me by my friend Sherry and I will be also leaving a small medal for my boss Britta. May both of their cancers refuse to rear their ugly heads again! Read more on our next day’s post.

Day 29 – Foncebadon to Ponferrada – 16.5 Miles

June 13, 2023

Happy Birthday to our now 33-year-old son Tucker! 

E: After all the thunderstorms last night we awakened to a cloudy, windy, 45 degrees, but beautifully dry sky. We had set our alarms for 5:15AM and departed at 5:45 for Cruz de Ferro. The Iron Cross is said to be located at the highest point on the Camino Frances Route at 4,900 ft. The history of the cross, which is not beautiful or ornamental but routed in historical significance, is suggested to have been a way marker in Roman times. The roughly 30-foot tall, basic wooden pole with a simple iron cross at the top, could be seen by travelers above winter’s snow build up making passage over the mountain a bit easier.

Current pilgrims leave a stone or item to “drop” an unwanted piece of their life, they leave memories, experiences or illness at the base of the pole moving forward with less burden in their life.

Just as we did in 2019, we arrived about a 1/2 hour before sunrise, about 6:15AM, and had the cross to ourselves. 

When I walked the Camino in 2015, 2016 and 2019, I left a stone for my good friend Sherry who, in 2014 had been diagnosed with 2 different cancers. She asked me to carry a stone to leave again this year. She is currently in remission. Leaving the stones must have some power and even if one does not believe, Sherry is playing tennis, hiking and enjoying her children and grandchildren so I would never stop our tradition. Sherry and I agree that leaving the stones has been good luck for her to date. This year, as in the past, I left a stone she gave me before we left for Spain. I carefully wrapped it, tucked it in the bottom of my pack and have carried it for over 300 miles. I placed the stone in a crack in the pole, as I have done each of the previous stones on past Caminos. I said a prayer for her and asked that the stone hold all the cancers within and not visit Sherry again.

While walking early on our Camino there was a nun giving blessings and offering a small medal. I also placed this small but powerful item in my pack. I saved it for my boss who informed me right before I left for Spain that she had cancer. As I hung the medal securely on the pole at Cruz de Ferro I asked the nun’s offering to keep her safe and healthy.

Thank you, in advance, to all who are reading this, for keeping these women in your thoughts.

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G: From the cross we walked a few miles along a ridgeline, always staying above 4,700’. The scenery was spectacular, as was the day. The temperatures were in the 40s with a slight breeze and the sun was in and out of the clouds. We hope you enjoy the photos.

The path was very unlike the normal smooth Camino walkway. With all the rains and wear and tear it was a very rough rocky walk today. We also were dodging big puddles. It all made for slow walking. Once we hit the end of the ridgeline it was down, down, down to Molinaseca, a total of over 3,000 vertical feet. Our feet were very happy to reach the wonderful ancient bridge that goes into town.