Over the highest point on the Camino, to Molinaseca (Tu 1 Oct)

The guidebook suggests you fuel up at breakfast for the hike to the highest point on the Camino, La Cruz de Ferro.  Well, we couldn't have picked a better albergue to feast, for Monte Irago had by far the best breakfast we've seen.  Most albergues serve bread, jam, coffee and sometimes juice.  We had cereal, oats, yogurt, fruit of all sorts, coffee, tea...

... and at the table, toast!, butter!!, peanut butter !!!, Nutella and sliced chorizo. We fueled up, braced ourselves for the rain that was teeming down and we were off.  Here are two more Canadians, both living in Thailand, one slathering on the peanut butter:

Our first stop is a well-known landmark, La Cruz de Ferro (Iron Cross), where many people leave a small stone in memory of a loved one, or some burden they are carrying.  It was underwhelming and not just because of the weather.  I was expecting an eclectic collection of stones of all shapes and sizes from all over the globe.  Most seem to have picked up within a few metres of the cross.  There were two people at the cross, reverently placing a stone and posing for photos, so we gave them their space and then walked up.  Our pix:

A few at the top:

Lots of puddles in the level sections and running water on the inclines.  Like hiking through a creek bed at times, but we were dressed for it and rain is just part of life:

The views from over the valleys and mountains were fantastic:

The rain stopped, the sun came out and we were left with this beautiful vista of clouds clinging to valleys:

Then a mountain village, with the promise of coffee, came into view:

Coffee -- and a roaring fire!

Coffee break over, we leave the town -- rugged stone buildings built to withstand winter storms:

At the edge of town a memorial to a 26 yr old German cyclist who died here, in 1986:

Pretty little town we wandered through, dodging road construction: 

The road far below:

And, at last, our comfortable albergue.  Home for the night.