When we arrived there were gypsies sitting in a circle singing. I
later learned that they live a few km down the road and come sing
every Sunday night with their tamborines, guitars, hand drums (which
Chris immediately started playing), recorders and maracas. They cooked
us a feast of seafood paella and this morning Chris and I attended the
morning yoga class in their attic.
After a few km of walking we came across this monument: La Cruz de
Ferro. This massive conical pile of stones marks the pass over Monte
Irago and the border between La Maragateria and El Bierzo Valley.
Across Europe, Celts traditionally laid stones at peaks and passes
like this one to calm the mountain gods and ask for safe passage
through the mountains. Romans in the area continued the tradition,
calling the stones "murias" after Mercury, their god of travellers.
Adding a stone to the pile is an important Camino ritual; many
pilgrims bring stones from home to place here.
what a fun stop here!
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