Today I will place the stones at Cruz de Ferro on my way to Molinaseca a very difficult seventeen mile walk.

LFirst last night.  I am in the cafe getting online and having a beer. There is a couple siting nearby, it's the Irish guy I almost had a conversation with two days ago before being interrupted by the woman who asked me what my room rate was at the roadside Hotel and Casino. We start to chat and immediately I know this is a guy I want to get to know. He introduces himself, his name is Peter and his wife is Charlotte. They are originally from Ireland but moved to New Zealand nearly forty years ago. He tells me that Inspite of the time in New Zealand he will not give up his Irish accent nor will she. Why should they, it's just fun to listen to them speak.

Sitting with them is Sophie. I just assumed hat she was related because I did see her with them two days ago. I just thought that she was their daughter. When I ask they all burst out laughing. They met early on at the beginning or the Camino and jolkingly Peter says we just can't get rid of her. Sophie is from Ottawa Canada and she is walking the Camino alone. She and her husband had planned years ago to walk the Camino but she retired and he could not so here she is. They are all Catholics and are devoted. Peter and Charlotte have five children but pre-deceased by one. They also have seven grandchildren. They left Belfast because there was just no future and the political issues made living there dangerous and not a place you would want to raise a family.

Sophie has three children, twin girls who are twenty five and a younger son who is as she puts it helpless without her. She goes on to say that he is emailing her constantly asking how to do his laundry. Bottom line is that they are all good people able to laugh at themselves and they see the Camino the same way I do. They are on a spiritual journey. 

A short time later a younger couple walks into the bar ,we are all staying at the Hostal. Peter, Caharlotte and Sophie know them. They introduce me, it's Tim and Agnes. Actually  her name I can't pronounce but it's Agnes in Polish. They live in Chicago and he is a drop dead ringer for the actor Sam Shepard. Even sounds like him. They too are  Catholic and not taken with themselves. He sits I get introduced and he immediately buys everyone what they are drinking ... I like this guy. He's fifty nine and retired from the personal jet services business. I think he did it well. 

At 6:45 Peter gets up and says that Mass will be starting in fifteen minutes so let's go. Come on Jim we want to get a seat. We all go across the street to the Chapel. It's spectacular. Mass is in both Spanish and English. I do get to take one picture after the Mass ends which I'll send. Afterwards it's back to the Hotel for the pilgrim's dinner. The food was okay but the Company is much better.

There is some conversation about the next days walk to Molinaseca. I don't say much but I know it's a very difficult day up to Cruz de Ferro and much more difficult on the downside from the top. Lots of Sapnish Potatoes, about the same or worse than the Hill of Forgiveness out from Pamplona. On the way up to the Cruz de Ferro it's a long uphill trek with some shade. I left this morning at nine thirty and it was cool. Perfect weather conditions. I pass a number of groups on the up hill portion, they are struggling. They don't know it yet but this is the easy part. On the way down from the top you will get a real test.

I reach the top, the Cruz de Ferro and as I come up the final hill I can see about twenty pilgrims standing under the Cross. Where did they come from? Then I see the Bus parked in a lot across the street from Cross and I get it. A large group with the Donkey service is here. Okay I'll just wait until they have all taken their pictures and then I will take care of my business. I could use a break anyway, it was a long hard uphill climb.

The group moves on but many of them are walking toward the Camino, no packs but it does appear that they are going to walk down from the top. That should be interesting. I get all of the stones placed and take a few pictures and I'm ready to go. The weather is still very nice, cool, which is helping. In a short fifteen minutes I reach the first roadblock. There is a traffic jam on the hill. It's very steep and it's covered in Spanish Potatoes of the very large variety. There are a number of people buched together trying to figure out each step. The problem is that the trail is very narrow so we now have a single file group that stretches out and I'm now trying to figure out how to get around them without adding to what is already a very hard downhill section. While trying to get around them I'm walking in areas that have more rocks and I end up smashing my right foot into a very large deeply imbedded rock. I know I've done some damage because it hurts immedtsly and is not subsiding. For sure I will be losing another toe nail. Hopefully it's not worse.

This downhill challenge goes on for hours. The toe is getting worse and I'm going slowly. In total today will take me eight and a half hours. That includes the time at the Cruz de Ferro, several stops for a break and traffic jams. Thats traffic jams plural because I run into another group with about two miles to go. The last three miles is really treacherous.

On of my breaks I meet up with Tim and Agnes. They are taking it slow, Agnes is having a minor relapse of whatever it was she had in Astorga which kept her in bed. This is not a good walking day to feel sick on. They are not sure where they will stop or if they will try to get a taxi if she does not improve. I did not see them again . 

I walk into Molinaseca at about 6:00. The last two hours near the bottom of the hill the temperature went up quickly and it's now hot. I'm worn out and my right foot has a serious toe issue. I walk to my Hostal. I walk all the way to the end of town and I have still not found it. I ask an old man siting on the steps of a house and he tells me to keep going. I am out of town. I check in and the clerk tells me that the dining room will be closed and the cafe is also closed but he does point out that I can walk back into town to get someting to eat. Thanks.

The room is okay but the wifi is not working. It is now 5:42 am as I write this, the wifi is finally working. I will send a note to the travel people about this a accommodation. I get everything taken care of and when I do take off the right Limo and the toe is a mess. It's swollen and I have a blister on the end of the toe. I will need to get to the pharmacy to buy bandages for this problem.

On on my way back into town and I run to Peter, Charlotte and Sophie. They all are worn out from today and all agree that it was even tougher than the first two days. We agree to meet for dinner back at their Hostal fir the pilgrim dinner. I'm off to the pharmacy.

The toe is a problem I just don't know yet how big a problem because tomorrow my walk to Villafranca  will be more than nineteen miles! One of the three longest days on the Camino. This is not a good time for a Psssenger problem. It's now 6:09 am, I need to pack and get going while it's cooler and most of all I need to see how the toe us going to impact today's long walk.

Good night or morning. Burma Camino.