Today I want to talk about the Iron Cross and embarrassing moment on the

Camino. We left this morning from Astorga and made our way to Cacabellos and

there's this humongous ascent and we've been doing the Camino on bike and I think it's really hard today.

The ascent I was going like I don't know six seven kilometers per hour really slow just in the granny gear that's my lowest gear up the hill huffing and puffing thinking what am I doing hours and hours.

Finally I got to the top of the ascent and up at the top is the Iron Cross, the Cruz

de Ferro and I was so exhausted and out of it I got to the top and fell over on my bike and hurt my right knee a little bit and everyone was there and it was really embarrassing and I was frustrated.

But one of the as my dad reminded embarrassing and I was frustrated.

But one of the, as my dad reminded me,

one of the things about the Camino's,

you're supposed to arrive at the cathedral of Santiago

humbled.

And so that is definitely beginning to happen to me.

The humility, required to be a pilgrim and realizing my own

weakness and my own limitations.

One of the cool things about this portion of the Camino is the Cruz de Ferro, the Iron Cross.

It's a Iron Cross, hence the name, that's lifted up on a pole, I think it's wooden pole, and people have

left all kinds of notes and mementos and prayers up there.

You're supposed to bring a pebble or a rock from home from wherever you are and place it there at the foot of the

Iron Cross and it's supposed to symbolize your burdens as a pilgrim but also your sins that you wish to expiate as you go along the path in faith.

And we were driving to the airport before we left for the Camino to

DFW Airport and we realized we had forgotten our rocks.

So we pulled over at an intersection outside the airport and picked up.

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