Camino de Santiago. Day 24. Foncebadón - Albergue de Ponferrada

Trail from Foncebadón to Albergue de Ponferrada passing through:
- Cruz de Ferro (1.8 km)
- Manjarin (4.1 km)
- Iglesia San Miguel (11.1 km)
- Ermita de San Sebastián (14.2 km)
- Ermita de Nuestra Señora de las Angustias (18.3 km)
- Monumento al Peregrino (18.9 km)

Day 24 of our Camino de Santiago. Today we were walking from Foncebadon to Ponferrada (26.90 km).
As we were having our breakfast, I looked outside and noticed that everything outside is white… Today winter really came! Everything was covered in snow.. and it would be really amazing, if not a strong wind with snow.. we could hardly see anything! The pilgrimage road goes next to the main road and first 5-6 km road goes up. But because weather was changing, it was a lot of parts with mud and rivers floating on the pilgrimage road.. I got my shoes wet almost immediately… it was terrible! I said to Nastya, that I don’t think that I’ll be able to walk till Poferrada, as we planned, because my feet are frozen. Then we decided to walk on the main road (it is so much easier! I really advise everyone who are walking now to use main road!) But what a beauty was around us! So magical and peaceful!
On the highest point (of all Camino) there is a cross (call Cruz de Ferro - Iron cross).There is a legend, that everyone should carry a stone and lay it there (like a stone from the soul, burden..) In the beginning of Camino in SJPDP I asked the volunteer, where should I get the stone from? She replied, that actually everyone brings it from their hometown.. I replied that this would be hardly possible to do (I’m not living there for more than 13 years.. And haven’t been in my hometown for more than 10 years, since war in Donetsk started. And if we take Ukraine, Kiev, I left it when the war started in Ukraine.. And not planning to go there soon). So I just picked up a stone in Sant-Jean-Pied-de-Port in the beginning of our way. And successfully left it today.
Overall it was difficult but very pretty day. First - snow, then a bit of sun, then it was raining.. Experienced all kinds of weather today! Tonight we are staying in Albergue de Peregrinos San Nicolas de Flue - it’s albergue for donations! Really nice one! With small rooms of 2 bunk beds. And we are lucky with Nastya to stay only 2 of us in the room.