Days 22 & 23 – Astorga to Foncebadon & Foncebadon to Ponferrada

Days 22 and 23 are done.

On day 22, I walked from Astorga to Foncebadon. This was a 17 mile walk, but since we have left the Meseta, there were a number of ups and downs. It was a hard day! You can see from the photos, that we are now entering a more mountainous region. Still no rain. Loving that part of it. I have never stayed in Foncebadon. In fact, in 2018, it was almost a ghost town, with only a couple of facilities. In 2021, there was more and I decided it was time to give it a try. I am so glad I did! The town is great, the albergue was great, the facilities were great. If I ever do this again, I suspect I will stay again! What makes it appealing is its proximity to Cruz de Ferro!

On day 23, I walked from Foncebadon to Ponferrada. Again, a very tough day. However, you come to a very spiritual place on the Camino, Cruz de Ferro. This is the traditional highest point of the Camino and there is a large pole with an iron cross (hence Cruz de Ferro) on top. The tradition is you bring a rock from home and leave it at the bottom of the cross. You then say the following prayer,

“Lord, may this stone, a symbol of my efforts on the pilgrimage that I lay at the foot of the cross, weigh the balance in favor of my good deeds some day when the deeds of my life are judged. Let it be so.”

The symbolism is that you are leaving the weights of your life on the Camino. There is a sense of accomplishment, friendship, sadness, happiness, all at one time. After leaving Cruz de Ferro, is a BIG difficult downhill! It is about 18 miles, but one of the more difficult on the entire Camino.