Rabanal - Molinaseca 24.6km

I had a great day today covering about 25km.  Didier asked me to help him on the uphill section of the walk.  It rose over 1200 meters over a 10km span.  I was using my poles attached to his chair to help push him when Peter, my friend from Holland ( I met him on the first day - shared a room with him) saw us.  We talked for a while, and then he went on his way.  After a bit, he then walked back down the hill with tears in his eyes.  He said he could 'put off his sorrows for the day to help someone else with their's'.   He helped me push Didier to the summit.  This summit area is an area which has the iron cross (see photo).  This is the special place of tradition on the Camino where people carry and leave a rock or other artifact that resents a problem that they want to leave and no longer carry with them.  So pilgrims who know of this place will bring something from their lives and carry it in their pack for the hundreds of kilometers they have hiked to this point (like literally carrying the weight of the problem), then leave the thing here as a symbol of leaving that problem behind.

 The thing that impressed me here was the number of rocks that have piled up over the years.  It stuck me that so many people have problems which they need to leave them behind.  It was a reminder and a symbol of all the 'baggage' and stories of the people who are walking the Camino.  We all have stories.

Today's section was probably the most beautiful that we have seen so far.  It was really tough climbing up and back down in one day.  It hit about 80+ degrees today and is supposed to be hotter tomorrow.  I hope everyone stays hydrated and we are enable to complete another 30km section tomorrow without problems.