Counting down days & kms! about 10 days & 225 kms ... phew! :o)

It continues to be an amazing journey! The last few days the weather has been marvelous ... perfect walking weather, in the mornings; however, the afternoon sun is far too hot! Unfortunately, getting started prior to 7 a.m. has been a challenge and with 8 to 10 hours of walking we are going to need to commence earlier than this. It will mean leaving without breakfast, but, this will have to be as we found that the heat today was just too extreme. Reminded me of summer´s in Squam Bay! (or Kamloops for that matter.)

Last night we shared a very special experience in that we were able to attend Vespers in a 12th Century country style church (not as ornate as many we have been in).

  It was officiated by Benedictine monks and Martin was asked to read the scripture in English! It was the coolest thing ever. :) If this weren´t enough of a blessing, the scripture that was in the pamphlet for him to read was a portion of scripture which encompasses the verse we have based our marriage upon (Ephesians 4:1b-4). It was done in Gregorian Chant, complete with incense (which always reminds me of my brother George!).

Today did take us up and over the highest mountain on the Camino, called La Cruz de Ferro. At the top is a tall cross and at the base of this cross are stones which have been laid by the perigrinos throughout the years. The stones symbolize the prayers that have been offered at the foot of the cross. In like fashion, we have added our own prayer stones for all of our loved ones.

The decent was horrid, as we expected it would be. Yet, there is ALWAYS, something in which to be grateful and today we are most grateful that the way was not wet; especially considering that the last five kms were predominately slate ridges that we had to navigate.


We are staying in a very nice albergue tonight; however, the cook is sick and we are too tired to walk back into town. So dinner tonight consisted of 2 oranges, a half a cylinder of biscuits (chocolate inside) and 2 tins of coke.

Tomorrow we go through the city of Ponferrada and then head back up a mountain! We will be in touch again soon. Much love!