Camino Francés Day 24 – Rabanal del Camino to Ponferrada

There was Camino Magic afoot last night, the municipal albergue had a wood burning stove that kept the cold away and there were no snorers!

The route was up hill to Foncebadon. This was once an abandoned village inhabited by wild dogs that hounded pilgrims, however as the popularity of the Camino grew, the town has reopened. There are no dogs but there were kittens.

The scenery is now green and hills all around, you can tell we have moved away from the meseta. We had breakfast at Foncebadon before continuing on to another iconic milestone, the Cruz de Fero.

I could finally offload the stone I had been carrying from my home. It is tradition to carry a stone and leave it at the foot of the cross, as a representation of the burdens we carry; by leaving it here, you leave them all behind and begin anew.

A little further down the route is the hamlet of Manjarin, only two shacks stand. A man rang a bell as we approached which perked our interests. He had a donation stall and a stamp!

From here you descend into El Acebo, with views of the vast lush flats where Ponferrada sits. The villages on the way to the city were picturesque, a stark difference from the last week and a half.

We stopped in Molinasesca for lunch, dipping our feet in a run off from the river. On the other side of the bank Arnica was doing the same. She then joined us for the last 7km into ponferrada and coincidentally had booked the same albergue.

The route followed the main road mostly before turning off on to a small suburban road leading into Ponferrada. At this point the weather around us turned and we were again storm racing. We got caught in a brief hailstorm with thunder and lightning cracking on the hills.

We made it safely to the albergue and had an explore of the city. There is a Templar castle in the centre and entry was free! After getting the stamp (another good one) and a walk round, it was time for some food and bed.