It’s been a little while since my last post in my 100 Spanish Photos series (now 200 Spanish Photos!), but I have much more to share. This section of photos has me traveling from Astorga to Rabanal, then beyond to Molinseca, which was the most challenging part of my Camino.
What do you do when you are walking the Camino de Santiago and it is a rainy day? Well, you walk right on through it, trudging up, up, up the hills. At the crest, you find these makeshift crosses. They are a celebration of sorts, declaring for all: “We made it. Our devotion has brought us thus far, and will take us further still.”
The hillside is beautiful with purple heather, and quiet mountains.
In the folds of the mountains lie little Spanish towns.
And as you walk in the footsteps of pilgrims throughout the ages, a saxophone player fills the land with beauty.
The strains of his song carry for hill after hill, accompanied by birdsong. Messages of love and generosity occur all along the Way.
At the top of a challenging hill, soaked by rain and chilled by cold, I reached the famed Cruz de Ferro, an iron monument sacred for many since Celtic times. The tradition is that you carry a stone with you during the whole Camino, symbolizing something you wish to give up. Then, prayerfully, you place it at the foot of the cross. Thus unburdened, you carry on with your Camino.
If you are lucky you may see a pilgrim that carries a staff and wears a heavy wool cloak.
Speaking of the past, atop a lonely hill near Manjarin I visited a handmade outpost occupied by Tomas, who claims to be the last of the Knights Templar. He gives pilgrims a dry bench to rest on, and offers a rather precarious outhouse with a stunning view of the valley below.
Heading onward to Molinseca I encountered the most difficult challenge of the way – wet slippery slate and large rocks underfoot, both of these made worse by sore feet and general exhaustion. Still, the beauty was undeniable, and I appreciated the vivid colors and grand views.
The peace and solitude may be glimpsed by this short video, which features a the call of a cuckoo bird.
If you’ve missed any of the photos in this series, feel free to backtrack over here.
