It is quite cool this morning as I leave, probably in the 50’s…but we are all soon shedding layers as we begin the 5 mile uphill hike to the Cruz de Ferro… Arguably the most important place on the Camino.

There is incredible magic in the early morning with the sun barely casting a shadow…

I am deep in thought as I contemplate the significance of this…pilgrims are told to bring a stone from home and symbolically lay their burdens down with the stone at the Iron Cross.

I had asked my grandson Cooper to send me a stone, and bless his heart, he sent two, one for all the other little warriors fighting cancer.

As I climb higher the views become stunning…and before I know it, the tiny village of Foncabedon (4 miles up) is before me…

I enter the first cafe for a cup of coffee, and am so excited when I see a sign for homemade smoothy, that the owner becomes concerned… I laugh and tell him this is the first smoothy I’ve had in a month. It’s loaded with sugar and yogurt, but it’s a smoothy all the same.

As I leave the town, the mile and a half path rises up ahead of me and curls around the mountain to the left.

I am deep in contemplation, as I make this beautiful trek.

As I approach the cross, there is a large group of people there laughing and taking pictures … In a very different frame of mind than I am, but magically, as I get there, most of them leave.

A kind lady offers to take pictures for me, but then promptly cuts the cross out of all of them, so I take a picture as I leave.

Laying the stones with a prayer is quite emotional for me… Later in the afternoon I get a message from my daughter with really good news about Coopers treatment protocol that will also affect children in the future….Wow!

Before the descent comes a beautiful walk for at least an hour around the top of the mountain range.

Then comes the descent from hell… Thank god it is such a beautiful day, I can’t imagine doing this in the rain, fog or snow that is quite frequent at this elevation.

I didn’t even take many pictures as I had to concentrate on each step… The loose shale is ankle turning territory…It’s interesting that following such a momentous event , you then have to surrender it and not think about it, as you vigilantly keep yourself from falling.

After an hour or more of this I feel quite traumatized… I travel through two more lovely villages before I get to my home for tonight.

Tonight, I share a private room with my new friend Christine in Molinaseca. Such a relief… I think I’m over the albergues…