We are speeding up our lives and working harder, in a futile attempt to slow down and enjoy it. - Paul Hawken

Another week has gone by and while a lot has happened, for me, it happens very slowly. We have the slow food movement but I am in the Slow Move Movement. As I have said before, when you experience life one step at a time, your perception is radically different. I normally start before 7 and those first two hours have been a beautiful time of day for me. The sun is coming over the hills and the birds and insects are stirring. The world at peace!

About a week ago I was in Leon, the third  of the four large cities on the Camino. It is much more cosmopolitan than Pamplona or Burgos. The amazing thing about Leon is it's Cathedral. It was built in just 50 years starting around 1250. It is one of the earliest and finest examples of Gothic architecture in Europe, with 125 stained glass windows, (50 feet tall) allowing in beautiful light (even more impressive than St Chappell in Paris). 

After leaving Leon I started to get back in the mountains, nice change from 6 days of walking through not real interesting farming. Entering Gallacia.  My first night in the mountains was in a very small village that was in ruins except for three albergues. I was on the top bunk in the attic and could see out the skylight. This area is covered with wind generators and as I looked out into the black night, I could them all blinking with their warning lights. It was very cool. 

The next day was the most demanding day of the entire Camino.( The very first day in the Pyrenees is a close second). The climb this morning from Foncebadon to the top (alto) was not difficult and very beautiful in the early morning light. I reached the iconic Cruz de Ferro easily.  A tall pole with a small iron cross on top.  And of course, thousands of stones- some painted, some inscribed, but many thousands more just in a pile. 

I had brought a stone which I had carried around in my shaving kit for several years. It originally came from communion service at Montreat, NC during ARW.

  I laid it there in memory of my parents

 and as a blessing to all my family. 

May we all live in a simple peace and harmony. Amen.

  I hiked even higher reaching 4940 feet. All fine and good. However, I had to come down --and did I !! All was downhill, figuratively and literally. The Alto sits at 4940 feet (1505 meters). In roughly a mile and a half, I dropped over 1200 feet. Then another 1200 feet over the next six miles. All in all, a drop of 2900 feet over 10 kilometers.  It made crossing the Pyrenees seem like a picnic. The entire path was just one dry creek bed filled with loose gravel and stones. While not as steep in places, I dropped another 1200 feet over the next 8k.. My legs were like rubber, scratching my plan to go onto Ponferrada.

One of the things I have noticed about this area is the profusion of flowers, especially roses. They are everywhere and so beautiful. I checked and Santiago is a little north of Detroit, Mi. That plus the altitude make for a perfect climate for roses.

I'm nearing the end of my solo journey, just over 125 miles to go. Katie and I will meet on Saturday and we will complete the journey together.