Rabanal to Cruz de Ferro

Friday was a long day. I started in a nice little town, Rabanal. While the sun is getting up later and later, the moon made a beautiful appearance early in the morning as many of us traveled out of Rabanal.
We climbed to the highest point on the Camino, Cruz de Ferro, or “Friends of the Way”. Here pilgrims have carried a rock the entire Camino representing their burdens. Once you make it to Cruz de Ferro, there is a tall pole with a cross on top of it, “The Cross of Iron” this is where you lay down your burden (rock). It is so interesting to me that for many pilgrims, this is not a faith journey. They may be searching for something, but few are here for a time of contemplative prayer. But as pilgrim after pilgrim reached the cross, I saw the tears, the moments of silence, many kissing their rock before laying it down, patting the pole, and looking up at the cross. There was joy. This is a place that gave many pilgrims on the Camino a meaningful moment.Read more