Foncebadon to Ponferrada

Is it legal in Spain to steal a kitten who has cuddled up in your opened backpack?

This is the question I was asking myself today on the long and arduous walk down from the highest point on the Camino Frances.

The day started great, with an amazing sunrise walk from my albuergue to Cruz de Ferro, the famous and sacred cross at the mountain top. Tradition is that you leave a rock or item of significance in honor or memory of a loved one. I brought the Camino scallop shell from my first Camino in 2019. I left it for my mom, my dad, my grandparents, Lindsay, Janice’s parents, Judy C.’s dad, Shelly’s dad, Jennifer’s dad, Drew’s mom Margaret, and for all the people I love.

Then started the descent. First to a small hamlet where the last Templar Knight (so he claims, he didn’t look very knight-like) has a compound. His little black kitten stole my heart and when I wasn’t looking he hopped into my open backpack. It would have been so easy to sneak away but Templar Knight vexed my plans and plucked her back.

The challenging descent continued. Suffice to say it was my toughest section of this Camino bar none. I suck at downhill. It’s as if the universe has taken away all my coordination and I sort of hobble/hop my way down. Throw in all the rocks, boulders, slate, mud and like 20% downgrade, I was the hiking version of Elaine dancing on Seinfeld.

*The Descent, Ponferrada is in the valley far below.*

Half way down I met Kaitlyn a US Navy helicopter pilot. She is half my age and was struggling as well so I felt better.

We walked into Molinaseca together, which is a gorgeous mountain town. I left Kaitlyn to get a quick hydration break and hike the last 8-9 kilometers to Ponferrada. But for some reason I stopped and struck up a conversation with an elderly gentlemen sitting in a cafe. He is American and long ago did the Camino. Then he returned to the US, sold all his stuff and moved to this Spanish mountain town.

We ended up talking for about two hours. The Camino just does that.

So it was a long, warm walk to Ponferrada. It’s a largish city of about 70,000. It has a beautiful old town area, with a Templar castle dating to the 1100’s. But it’s a city and I can’t wait to get back out into the country tomorrow morning.

Despite that descent, the weather has been incredible, Spain is beautiful, the fellow pilgrims that I have come to know have all been a blessing.

I’m not the sailor my grandfather was, maybe I am a land sailor. Meant to walk. Just not downhill.