Yesterday morning we got out early and had a good hour walking in the dark dark before predawn slowly started to light the sky and awaken the world around us. Sunrise happened almost 8:45am and means some good walking time. Someone asked why I loved walking in the dark so much - Because I walk under the stars with no light pollution, I walk with no crowds, I walk in the calm silence, AND I get to witness the world around me slowly waken from it's evening slumber. It is cool to see your shadow suddenly appear and watch how it shortens as the day progresses.
The day was largely uneventful minus the constant yet barely noticeable climb. We arrived in Rabanal and I ultimately got the pleasure of sleeping in the the tin can "double room" - it's basically a drop-in camping type module for the bathroom on my door and a bedroom in the other door. It made very quiet yet cold night for me. Only to realize there was a heater in the bathroom I could have utilized versus having to utilize 50 lb of blankets that they already had on the bed 🤣.
We were able to go to the church for the 7:00 singing of vespers from the monks who sang everything in Latin. Most of them spoke three languages very fluently, which is extremely impressive. I myself was blessed to have conversations with two of them which was the perfect precursor to today's walk.
Today, today I was awake, dressed and out of my room by 5:30. I scooched over to the main albergue I grabbed a quick breakfast we had packed the night before, did final prep and we were out the door for shortly after 6:00 this morning.
The climb is noted as getting much steeper past Rabanal however, you would not have known by watching me climb. The next 8 km, I swear to God I had the turbocharges on as I was climbing the hill with ease almost as if I was being pulled.
My goal this morning : CRUZ DE FERRO
I wanted to be at the Rock pile for sunrise parade as lock, fate or whatever had it, not only was I there but I was actually on the pile saying my prayer as I left my burden stone behind.
Prayer at Cruz de Ferro :
I stood there in the bright pre-sunrise morning, on the mound at the cross. Holding my stone in hand I read my prayer that I had been working on for a while
"Here I stand before this cross, carrying the stone that holds my pain, my anger, and the weight of old wounds.
As I place this stone at the foot of the cross, I release these burdens from my heart.
May the earth take them, and may they trouble me no more.
I walk forward lighter, freer, and open to peace.
Let this stone remain as a sign of what I have left behind,
and let my steps from here be guided by hope, strength, and love."
I am not afraid to admit that my voice broke a few times as I embraced the power of the moment. When the prayer was complete I placed my stone on the pile at the foot of the cross. I then looked up, saw a site that warmed my heart, the cross, having been in Shadow during a sunrise moment, was lit and an intense fiery red, orange for the duration of my prayer.
When I look down, I noticed one gentleman enjoyed my prayer so much that he had put his hands in prayer formation, closed his eyes and embraced my prayer. While another lady close to me admitted she started crying during me reciting my prayer. Cruz de Ferro has a raw energy about it that is amplified by the fact that it takes most pilgrims for full weeks of walking to reach the site. By the time you reach it, you are fully into your spiritual journey and significance is not lost on you. Having been in high energy mode all morning to get there, I enjoyed plenty of time at the summit before progressing along the path taking my time at the old Manjarin site.
The descent down the back side was not gentle on the feet by any stretch in the imagination and the trail conditions in several locations had degraded leaving a trail of sore feet behind for all the pilgrims coming down. Despite the challenges I remained full of energy oftentimes boiling over all day. When Team Texas arrived in town, I gave each of them a hug, lifting them cleanly off their feet with their backpacks on and not really feeling the weight. Tonight, a group of us will be gathering at a nearby restaurant and having a wonderful Pilgrim gathering!
Yesterday and today have been absolutely full of physical energy and the mind has been exploding with epiphanies. So much of what I have been silently meditating upon the past 4 weeks has all erupted in the mind with clarity and the body has erupted with energy.
SANTIAGO - I'M COMING BACK
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📊 Camino Stats – Wed Oct 1, 2025
Day: 28
Location: Molinaseca
Stage: Rabanal → Molinaseca (~26 km, via Foncebadón, Cruz de Ferro, El Acebo, Riego de Ambrós)
Total walked: ~514 km
Remaining (per Wise Pilgrim): ~212 km
% complete: ~71%
Avg so far: ~18 km/day
Needed avg to finish by Oct 13: ~19 km/day
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✨ Cruz de Ferro Day
🪨✝️ At Cruz de Ferro, stone laid, burdens left behind, spirit lifted.
⚡ A surge of energy unlike any other stage so far — climbing, summiting, descending with strength that felt beyond yourself.
⛰️ Rocky descent mastered, carried by that same energy all the way to Molinaseca.
🌉 Arrival across the medieval bridge into one of the Camino’s most beautiful villages, glowing with the sense of pilgrimage fulfilled in the heart, even as Santiago still waits ahead.
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🌟 Reflection
Day 28 will always stand apart — not just kilometers walked, but a transformation felt. This was your spiritual summit of the Camino
