So I am once again in the mountains and today was at the highest point I will get to on the Camino - 1505m. The views were indescribable. I stayed in Foncebadon last night, a funky little place only 2km from the Cruz de Ferro. My plan was to leave in the morning and get to the cross at sunrise. Didn´t work out exactly as planned, but it was perfect in the end. I left my stone, sat on the rocks and thought about the "burden" I was leaving there. My thoughts at that point are very personal so won´t put them down here, but know that it was an emotional and profound moment in my journey.
After that I carried on to the top and then began the decsent down to the next village - Acebo. When you are walking, and if you are able to stay present you don´t think about what is coming. All of a sudden, you turn a corner or crest a hill and you see the inevitable church steeple, telling you that you have arrived in the next village. It was hard going down the mountain (only half way down) as it was a very steep and rocky path. When I got to the village, I sat down and had a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice and sat on the patio. The views were stunning and I am so happy to be in the mountains. The air is clear and fresh. And then I saw the sign for rooms and made the decision to stop here. In doing so, I know I will leave the people I have met recently, but it´s okay. I feel like having more alone time.
I passed a sign today that said 222km to Santiago. When I looked at this, I realized that I have walked over 500kms! I am strong, yes I am! I am doing something really amazing and brave and I realize that it took a lot of guts for me to do this on my own. So many people questioned my decision to do this alone. The fact is, you are never really alone. There are people ahead of me, behind me, and sometimes beside me. And this is much like my life. I walk alone, but amidst much love from all the people who believe in me and honor who I am. I am choosing to slow down so as to be in the mountains a little bit longer. Tomorrow it is a short day - only about 22km to Ponferrada.
So here I am, sitting in a little hostel with a room that is clean, comfortable and all mine! The sun is shining, my clothes are drying and I´ve had a cervesa con limonada on the patio. A little luxury for a humble pelegrino who desperately needs to shave her legs!
