The purpose of the stone is to be able to leave your stone (laden with your burdens) at the Cruz de Ferro after having carried it during your Camino.

Only one day remains before the Cruz de Ferro, and I still haven’t decided what to leave with my stone! Originally, I had wanted to carry it on behalf of my deskie David and his recent illness, but after gentle persuasion and much consideration, I have instead decided to dedicate the hardest physical stage to him…the climb of O Cebreiro. If you read Gordon’s blog, this climb is his own equivalent of the “Cruz de Ferro stone”. (Blog entry titled “The Three Imposters”) 

http://gordon-camino.blogspot.co.uk/

This leaves me to consider what it is in my own life that I want to leave behind on the Camino at the Cruz. For some reason, it is difficult for me to decide. I find that every choice I make for the burden or reason, has some elements about it that I strangely don’t actually want to lose.

Today, after our first breakfast stop in Astorga, I walked with Hartmut.

It was a beautiful day, and the walking was easy, although the shin pains were returning. (Yesterday, was my first pain-free day…which I would only whisper about, in case my body got wind of it!) So we took it gently and stopped frequently for my “stork manoeuvre” and various liquid refreshments, which certainly helped!

On the subject of the stone, Hartmut gamely asked me some searching questions in order to organise my thoughts. Hartmut is a climbing journalist from Dresden. He is a wonderfully calm and conscientious listener, as well as a thoughtful inquisitor…and wise, but gentle counsellor. I feel incredibly lucky to have him as a Camino companion.

Among many other things, I spoke at great length about Gordon and found myself able to relive a whole host of deeply embedded emotions. It was a profound and moving process for me.

I realised that, since Gordon’s death, I have been constantly trying to stay focussed on the positive elements of our situation, as Gordon would’ve wanted me to do, and to keep moving forwards, rather than looking back. So it was somehow good to revisit our intensive and colourful past.

On arrival at our small hilltop albergue, just 2km short of the Cruz de Ferro (saved for an early morning visit), we discovered that Jade and George had thankfully booked the last two bunks for us! 

After a communal albergue dinner, they both treated us all to some wonderful guitar playing and songs. A few other contributors joined the liveliness with drums, singing and dancing. It was an entertaining and convivial evening and one that I know Gordon would have revelled in.

Su-a Lee