Before leaving Refugio Guacelmo, we read the latest heartfelt comments left by pilgrims, said our final goodbyes to the new hospitaleros, and off we went. We’d already said our farewells to the locals we met, but couldn’t resist one last look for the “8 o’clock ladies” even though we didn’t expect them to be out this early. We peeked through the window at La Posada Casper’s, hoping for a final wave from the bartenders. No one was around, so off we went to Foncebadón, Cruz de Ferro, Monjarin, and El Acebo, which was our destination for the day.

Foncebadón was an abandoned ghost town when Dave and I passed through in 2015, but it is now a welcoming stop with nine hostels and even a medieval-themed restaurant, La Taberna de Gaia. We had a second breakfast and got swept up in a fellow pilgrim’s intense five-minute story about her Camino epiphany! Whew!

I planned to leave a special red rock at Cruz de Ferro, but for the second time, my rock mysteriously disappeared. I lost it on a previous Camino, only for it to reappear when we got home and unpacked. I think it grows legs, trying to avoid its destiny. Strange. I left a few other rocks instead, including a triangle rock that reminded me of the rock our daughter left there in 2013: https://mymeseta.com/25-reaching-cruz-de-ferro/. Janine left a rock with some unusual markings she found on the beach.

Leaving Cruz de Ferro, I realized my water was running low, and when I asked a fellow pilgrim whether there was a fountain near by, he gave me a litre of his water—an act of generosity pilgrims are famous for.

We continued to the nearly extinct, remote village of Monjarin, where we had a Coca-Cola Zero and chatted with Sia, who runs the small refreshment stop. She told us about thick fog and massive hail that can happen in this remote, mountainous area. The only way to protect yourself from the hail, she said, is to put your backpack on your head. Sia also gave us helpful directions for taking the road instead of the steep, rocky trail into El Acebo. The trail and the road are equally as steep, but at least there are no chunky, loose rocks to skid on when you take the road.

We stopped at a young man’s memorial and noticed a plume of smoke which seemed to be moving in the direction we were going.

The downhill hike took a toll on Janine’s knees so we made the best decision possible, and that was to take a taxi the next day. After a restful night and breakfast at the lovely Casa Rural La Rosa del Agua, we taxied down the steep hill into Molinaseca—the best twenty euros ever spent!

From there, we had an easy eight kilometre walk to Ponferrada. Janine and I are staying at the same place Dave and I stayed in 2015. This time, though we have a view of the castle and cobblestone street below instead of pigeons on the opposite stone wall. We had a quick walk around the castle, a meal, and off to bed.

Today, I took a bus to Santiago from Ponferrada, then boarded another bus to Porto to meet Dave. The air quality here is poor due to the fires, and many people are wearing masks. After a refreshing shower, Dave and I headed out to Gisela’s for their specialty “hot dog” and fries, then picked up some Portuguese tartas from a bakery for dessert. We’re turning in early tonight, as we have a Duoro River cruise planned for tomorrow.