Camino de Santiago: Day 15 to Day 17

DAY 15 - ASTORGA to RABANAL (22 kms)

Today is the return to the mountains. It's a beautiful walk, although I don't always like

sticking so close to the road.

There are many different ways to point out The Way.

This is an environmentally-friendly alternative to yellow spray paint.

In Rabanal, checked into a lovely hostel which had converted an old cow barn into a dormitory (nope, it didn't smell like cow). Super cozy! Met a few more interesting people, among them Bob (not the guy pictured), a gentleman from San Fransisco who will soon meet up with his daughter to finish the Camino with her.

Day 16 -RABANAL to MOLINASECA (27 kms)

Today was a brutal day, in more ways that one. Today brings pilgrims to the highest point (above sea level) of the entire Camino, so it's a nice haul from the get-go. At the highest point, an iron cross has been erected in order for us to leave our sorrows, our anger, our pain behind us. This brought on an emotional upheaval I did not expect. The 2nd part of the hike involved a descent of more than 1,000 meters in elevation, which caused some more foot issues for yours truly.

Again, starting your day before sunrise has its perks.

Cruz de Ferro, 1 504 meters above sea level. A major symbol of the Pilgrims' Way. I deposited a stone from Canmore here (Thanks Steph!), as well as a few items representing things or people of which I must let go.

As I steeply descend over 1,000 meters into this valley, my little toe develops a 3rd blister (!!!), for which there obviously isn't much room. My toenail is still hanging on for dear life. Major pain amidst all this beauty!

DAY 17 - MOLINASECA to PIEROS

Yesterday's brutal hike is somewhat abated by a long but not too strenuous hike into Pieros today. Rather uneventful, but always beautiful.

Walking through Ponferrada, I come upon a massive castle that was once a stronghold of the Knights Templar. They were great defenders of pilgrims on the Camino. A Roman Catholic military group, they were particularly well-skilled in fighting during the Crusades. They grew too powerful and the uneasy Catholic Church ordered their torture and destruction in 1307. Many Knights were burned at the stake on Friday, October 13th, 1307 (my future birthday).