Tuesday 7 July 2009

The Cruz of Fools(Ferro)

yesterday I did the most stupid thing I have done for years.
at Cruz de Ferro there is an iron cross on a pole atop a large cairn were people leave stones or other things brought from home that have an inportance to them personal things for personal reasons, I have a few so this was going to be the cruz of my camino.
the days before had been the useual walk sleep turning into the worlds largest pub crawl, I can´t escape it the 26km walk to Villar Mazafife and the Albergue de jesus had seemed ok at first nice swimming pool laid back crowd,then it all kicked off no curfew 4th of july party music-drink and there might have been other things of a smoking kind.
sleeped till 9 with a 34km walk to Astorga ahead and a great Gaudi building to see.
made it in time over the weirdest rail bridge I have ever seen.
the long walks are not a problem, we just seem to kick them out we are walkers first and foremost with strong arms and limbs.
what is the problem is the Ks are just flying by and at this speed I will have 10 free days to spend in expensive Santiago.
so time to slow down and with this in mind me and a couple of other thick baby=boomers decide on a moonlit night walk to one of the highest points of the Camino,the Cruz of Ferro.
I loved the moonlit walk right up to the point were I got lost and the frezing mist desended.
after a 8km detore I found myself back on track and reached the slightly disapointing cross at 4 am and was in sereous trouble of dying of the cold, wearing every item I carried in my pack I placed my objects and hopes of a new life on the cairn and then lay down in the doorway of the Santiago chapel soon to be joined by the other fools Lucy and her boyfreind Belgium Chris.
no lovers have clung together closer than we did that night and laught at the foolishness so much that the first pilgrims later said they thought we were drunken beggers.
I survived and now sit in a bar in MOLINASELA talking to Lucy like a normal sane person.
I need to slow down

3 comments:

  1. I have heard that strange things happen on the camino and there are many lessons to learn and messages if we listen.
    Hmmmm??
    Keep posting, I am enjoying reading about your journey!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Ian, you could always have texted me and I would have provided you with expert advice drawn from my vast experience of climbing moutains at four in the morning(???!!!).Enjoy.
    David

    ReplyDelete
  3. It was freezing cold and misty when I arrived at Cruz de Ferro at a more 'normal' time of day!!! But what a memory your night-time walk has given you.
    Have loved reading your blog. But now you have passed the 100km mark, you will be standing in front of that cathedral before you know it!

    ReplyDelete