Today was another absolutely gorgeous day for continuing our pilgrimage. For the first couple of hours we walked in a dense, dense fog. Then it gradually cleared off into bright, warm sunshine. All in all a nice quiet day in the Galician countryside. We reached our destination a little before noon and found a comfortable albergue for our stay tonight. Again, we had plenty of time for resting, exploring, eating, and the pilgrim mass. What could be better?
One of the most iconic landmarks along the Camino is the Cruz de Ferro where pilgrims traditionally leave stones they have brought from home. The stones represent different things to different people – often a moving on from past things in their lives. One tradition is that the stones represent the sins that the pilgrim has committed and that leaving them behind plays a part in the process of absolution. Unfortunately we missed the Cruz de Ferro when we took the train from León to Sarria. At Fr. Kevin’s suggestion I decided to leave them at one of the many crosses along the Camino, and that I would know the right one when I found it. Well, today I found it. As we approached the Iglesia Santiago de Lestedo we heard the bell ringing. It was not announcing the time; it was not for a mass or a funeral; it was not for any reason that I could determine. There was an elderly gentleman ringing the bell – two rings, then a pause, then two more rings, another pause, and so on for the longest time. All I could guess was that possibly it was to honor the dead who are buried in the surrounding cemetery. It was such a powerful experience that none of us pilgrims who were there spoke a word until we finally moved on. Emotionally I was absolutely certain that this was the right place to leave the stones.
Day #24
Palas de Rei
Population 3,600 / Elevation 575 meters
Albergue Castro
Distance walked today 12.0 km
Weather cool with dense fog until mid-morning (less than 100 meters visibility), clear and warm later.