One Year Ago: Cruz de Ferro
(from my journal)
Molinaseca
22 April 2013
Saying Goodbye to our Hospitaleros at Refugio Gaucelmo in Rabanal
Too tired to think properly. Spectacular climb to Cruz de Ferro, Francine, Mark, and I. Saw some peregrinos there we had prviously met in Rabanal. Saw a forest fire in the hills – two helicopters put it out.
Lord, may this stone, a symbol of my efforts on the pilgrimage that I lay at the foot of the cross of the Saviour, one day weigh the balance in favour of my good deeds when the deeds of my life are judged. Amen.
(traditional pilgrim’s prayer at Cruz de Ferro)
A long, slow, and careful scramble down what appeared to be a goat trail.
Francine and I lunched in El Acebo with Mark very late – maybe about 2pm. Mia and Cliff dropped by! They’ve already caught up.
Met with John and Heather on their bikes again; they’d stayed a day in Astorga.
Francine was a trooper, though she got a little crabby the last 5km or so. Who could blame her? My ankle is bruised and screaming. Lots of blacktop today exacerbated it, especially at the end where we took a long road detour to avoid a rough and rocky descent. Ugh.
Dinner with Cliff, Volker, Alex from Brazil, some others.
Teenagers running amok! A group of Spanish teens – barely restrained by one adult – have been cheerfully disrupting life on the Camino for two days now.
First constant talking at Vespers in Rabanal, then loud and raucous behaviour on the Way, now same at albergue at 10:30pm.
A pox on them!
All the photos. Day 21.