Day 33 – Progressing to Ponferrada

Goodbye to good lodgings in El Alcebo,

the perfect spot to rest after Cruz de Ferro.

We left at 8 AM wth perfect weather.

There were a few long stretches of rocky

downhills today. No twisted ankles, though.

Last view of El Acebo in the cool of morning.

Dave's pack is so light without those rocks.

He is zooming down the mountain!

Wide view of Molinaseca. Very pretty!

We are 2/3 of the way to Ponferrada.

A quaint little town. So appealing!

A little bit of flavor from this charming village.

From the bridge to old town, which converts
to a beach for families and kids. Delightful.

 I wanna go! I wanna go!

Dave found a great pastry shop.
Can you say "second breakfast?"
We can.

David and Meredith, two Aussies
who have been with us off and on.

Photog Dave, checking out his best shots today.

Mikey, walking down that sweet Main Street.

Our fondest farewells as we leave Molinaseca.

Our Ponferrado 'hood for the next two nights.

The Basilica de la Encina, from on top of the

Templar Castle. Amazing place!

Looking west from Ponferrada, in the 

direction we are going next.

Looking east, from whence we came today.

Two tough guys at the Templar's Castle.

John, Kate, and Sam from Phoenix. We were

with them at Rabanal and now at Ponferrada.

Sending much love to our ladies.

Tower of the Templar Castle of Ponferrada.

How cool is that??

Inner stronghold of the

 Castillo de Los Templarios.

Picture of the Knights Templar taken from

an old-time book in the castle library.

No one ever got through or over these walls.

No breaches!

Mike, standing watch on the ramparts.

"O'er the ramparts they watched..."
What a great castle to visit. Cool video!

Rest day in Ponferrada tomorrow, but
we don't think we'll be resting much.
Lots to see here!

A story from Mike:

       As those of you who read this blog regularly already know,  we arrived at Cruz de Ferro about 10:00 Friday morning. My task was twofold: to place a stone at the base of the pillar for Max and to tie a ribbon around the pillar for our whole family, including my sister, Ann. This I did while loads of other people were arriving by bus or foot, coming to offer their own tokens of remembrance. I placed ours with great reverence.

       After finishing the day's hike and arriving in Ponferrada yesterday, Lynna asked me if I had put Ann's name on the ribbon. "Absolutely," I said; but as the evening wore on, I began to second-guess myself. (Don't you love an aging brain and the confidence it inspires?) I sure don't, because my niggling little doubts began to wear on me. After all, one of the major reasons I am walking this Camino is because of my sister and the challenges she faces with depression and anxiety. Ann's name had to be there with all of us––not almost-for-sure, but for certain.

       When we arrived at our final destination, I decided that I needed to be 100% positive Ann's name was on that ribbon. (99% wasn't good enough!) I rented a taxi and returned to the Cruz. The drive was 40 minutes each way, with 15 minutes spent at the cross itself, so the trip took just over an hour and a half. Upon arrival, I climbed up the pillar to see the ribbon, but I couldn't read all the names very well from my vantage point. Needing to know beyond any doubt that it was there, I wrote Ann's name at both ends of the ribbon. Now I can be positive she is included with our family. I love her so, as we all do.

One more story from Mike:

Yesterday, as I was sending pictures and texts to our editor, I took off my glasses and laid them on the bed. This was not a great idea, because by the time I was finished, I'd forgotten the glasses were there and rolled on top of them. This ill-advised move on my part bent the frame and popped one of the lenses out, aka the double whammy of eyeglass destruction. Last night for dinner (when it was already dark), I was having to make do with my sunglasses.  Needless to say, this was not an ideal situation.

Today, when we got to Ponferrada, we were directed to an optical store. The man there spoke fairly good English, so I explained what had happened. He took my lens and frame from me, put the lens back in the frame, adjusted the frame for the damage caused, cleaned the glasses thoroughly, and handed my perfectly repaired specs back to me. Only those who wear glasses that they really need know how I felt at that moment! And when I asked how much I owed him, this kind man simply answered, "Nothing. Buen Camino."

A story from Dave:

We visited the Knights Templar Castle today and were impressed by the huge walls and size of the castle, along with its history of never being breached. The Knights Templar were founded in the early 12th century during the Crusades and lasted until early in the 14th century. They were originally called "The Poor Fellows––Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon." Their stated mission was to "protect pilgrims on their journey to holy places." Bernard of Clarivaux said, "A Templar Knight is truly a fearless knight, and secure on every side, for his soul is protected by the armor of faith, just as his body is protected by the armor of steel. He is thus doubly-armed, and need fear nether demons nor men."

The Camino is an incredible journey. Mike and I have traveled on isolated trails into the mountains and also through crowded cities. We, as well as those we've met along the way, have felt safe from harm with no malice from anyone. We have been surrounded on all sides with friendly people who are willing to help one another. Truly the Knights Templar spirit is alive and well on the Camino, protecting pilgrims on their journeys to holy places. Thank you for accompanying us on ours.

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