A “Cruz de Ferro” on the Camino Ingles?

[hfenton]

I’m planning to walk the Camino Ingles next week and am wondering if there is a place akin to the Cruz de Ferro along the route. I have a couple of stones I’d like to drop off somewhere along the way. (I’ll never hear that phrase without thinking of Dan Mullins and his song, “Somewhere Along the Way.”) Muchas gracias.

 

[Elle Bieling]

Hi there @hfenton. No, there is no similar Cruz along the English Way, I am sorry to say. There are some country crosses you will encounter, and some pilgrims place stones on the mojones, the concrete waymarks. Good luck and Buen Camino!

 

[davebugg]

I’m planning to walk the Camino Ingles next week and am wondering if there is a place akin to the Cruz de Ferro along the route. I have a couple of stones I’d like to drop off somewhere along the way. (I’ll never hear that phrase without thinking of Dan Mullins and his song, “Somewhere Along the Way.”) Muchas gracias.

No, not really. I have been on both Caminos (Frances and Ingles). I have performed the developed tradition of bringing a stone from home with a designated and specific 'burden' for that stone to symbolize, and have placed it at the Cruz de Ferro, after which I spent some time in prayer and meditation.

The Cruz de Ferro tradition is unique to that location, regardless of how it began. I personally have difficulty thinking that dropping of stones at other sites or locations or on mojones to be a substitute for doing so at the Cruz de Ferro, so I did not focus on that same tradition while on the Ingles.

If I wanted to do the stone/burden symbolism on other Caminos, I would probably not look to a specific location, like the Cruz de Ferro is on the Frances. I would keep my spirit and mind open to a place which 'feels' meditative and soothing and allows for a relaxed contemplation. That is where I would symbolically cast my burden to God's keeping.

 

[Former member 91017]

Some people are offended at the thought that some of us mourn “simple beasts”… but when I was last walking, it was on the CP… also without a Cruz de ferro, and a friend’s beloved cat had died, so she asked me to carry a stone for Reggie. I did… and as I think a cat would rather watch people and sit in the sun, I placed her wee stone from her garden in the lovely garden square just down the hill from the cathedral.

I have left a stone from my home at the CdF in the Frances… and one for a departed friend…

Really hoping that if/when I ever walk again, I’ll not have any stones to carry.

 

[irishwalker]

Hi hfenton,
Good luck on your camino. It is a lovely walk. I walked the Camino Ingles from Ferrol in 2019 and thoroughly enjoyed it. Great scenery, lovely towns and not strenuous. I stayed the first night in Hotel Choyo 2 in Ferrol, which is just off the camino. The hotel owner advised me, when I arrived, to go down to the start in the harbour and walk back the 2/3k to the hotel and then continue the following morning. This I did. On my return the hotel, the owner treated me to a beer and some tapas. He also give me his phone number in case I had any difficulties on the route. Maybe he thought I was an old guy lol. I was 69 then. Apart from the first day, I moved my rucksack ahead each day through Correos. Having reached Meson do Vento in three days, I decided I would walk to Santiago on the fourth day, as the fifth day from Sigueiro is only 15k. The hotel owner in Meson do Vento kindly rang Correos and agreed that they would move my rucksack over two stages, which they did, for an extra fee, of course. Great walk. The locals were very friendly and helpful. Hopefully I will go back and walk the route again. Buen camino

 

[lt56ny]

No, not really. I have been on both Caminos (Frances and Ingles). I have performed the developed tradition of bringing a stone from home with a designated and specific 'burden' for that stone to symbolize, and have placed it at the Cruz de Ferro, after which I spent some time in prayer and meditation.

The Cruz de Ferro tradition is unique to that location, regardless of how it began. I personally have difficulty thinking that dropping of stones at other sites or locations or on mojones to be a substitute for doing so at the Cruz de Ferro, so I did not focus on that same tradition while on the Ingles.

If I wanted to do the stone/burden symbolism on other Caminos, I would probably not look to a specific location, like the Cruz de Ferro is on the Frances. I would keep my spirit and mind open to a place which 'feels' meditative and soothing and allows for a relaxed contemplation. That is where I would symbolically cast my burden to God's keeping.

I agree with you Dave. As you can see my photo is from my first camino at the Cruz de Ferro. It was an intense experience for me. I was there for I do not know how long. I have walked other caminos and still always take a rock and place it somewhere. My last Camino I put my stone in the Cathedral in Santiago. In 2017 I walked with a dear friend who had lost his daughter. I had told him about the tradition of the rock and its meaning. We did the CP. He asked me on the first day where do I place my stone. i said you will know. It is your stone and heart. About 20 days into our camino we were walking through a really lovely field. He called to me and barely blurted out that he will meet me later. I knew he found his place. When I got to the next village there was a cafe with some seats outside. I waited for him for a long time. We sat and had a coffee and a Nata. We had very little conversation. That night he did open up to me. I know that ceremony helped him. How much I do not know but it was something and something is alot.

 

[hfenton]

Thanks for your responses. I wasn’t expecting to learn that there’s a tall wooden pole with an iron cross on top of it along the Ingles. I was hoping though there might be a place with a significance approaching that of the Cruz de Ferro. Looks like a no. I think I will just walk and, as per davebugg, let the Camino speak to me and reveal itself. Buen Camino.

 

[Former member 97775]

I’m planning to walk the Camino Ingles next week and am wondering if there is a place akin to the Cruz de Ferro along the route. I have a couple of stones I’d like to drop off somewhere along the way. (I’ll never hear that phrase without thinking of Dan Mullins and his song, “Somewhere Along the Way.”) Muchas gracias.

Cairn and cross above San Adres de Teixido

Hi Fenton,

You may be happy to know that there is a kind of "Cruz de Ferro" almost at the start of the Camino Inglez.
I was there with my son in 2012. It is right above a very holy place called San Andres de Texido, North of Ferrol.

From Ferrol you take a bus north to a lovely resort town called Cedeira, and then from Cedeira you take a taxi (20 min) or walk up the mountain cliffs (called Acantilados) to the church of San Andres de Texido. San Andres is no other than Saint Andrews, one of Jesus' disciples, who was shipwrecked there on his way to Ireland at about the same time that Santiago made it to Galicia. His church has been a center of pilgrimage ever since the early middle ages, competing in local popularity with Santiago de Compostela itself. There is an annual romeria (local pilgrimage feast) at this church on August 8 of every year, and this is what my son and I went up to see.

The sea-side views from the cliffs are stunning.

After the fiesta of the romeria, one has the choice of taking a taxi back to Cedeira, or climbing further up the cliffs and walking by land to Cedeira, and it is there where you encounter your "Cruz de Ferro". The area is known for its wild rock formations, and the Celts created cairns (piles of rocks), just as they had done at the "Cruz de Ferro". When the christians took over, they erected a tall wooden cross on top of the biggest cairn, and called it "Milladoiro" (See photos below). Local pilgrims actually add stones to it to this day.

​

There is a superbly performed song by the famous Galician group, Luar Na Lubre. The song is called "Romeiro Ao Lonxe" (A pilgrim went to San Andres), with the singer Diana Navarro.​

in which are incorporated many of the legends about San Andres de Texido (the tune may sound familiar to you).
You will find those legends discussed in the following link (among others):

http://blog.turismo.gal/destinations-en/legends-and-myths-of-santo-andre-de-teixido/

The experience of going to San Andres and the climbing up the cliffs to the "Cruz de Madera" is well worth the effort.

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

Cairn and cross above San Adres de Teixido

Hi Fenton,

You may be happy to know that there is a kind of "Cruz de Ferro" almost at the start of the Camino Inglez.
I was there with my son in 2012. It is right above a very holy place called San Andres de Texido, North of Ferrol.

From Ferrol you take a bus north to a lovely resort town called Cedeira, and then from Cedeira you take a taxi (20 min) or walk up the mountain cliffs (called Acantilados) to the church of San Andres de Texido. San Andres is no other than Saint Andrews, one of Jesus' disciples, who was shipwrecked there on his way to Ireland at about the same time that Santiago made it to Galicia. His church has been a center of pilgrimage ever since the early middle ages, competing in local popularity with Santiago de Compostela itself. There is an annual romeria (local pilgrimage feast) at this church on August 8 of every year, and this is what my son and I went up to see.

The sea-side views from the cliffs are stunning.

After the fiesta of the romeria, one has the choice of taking a taxi back to Cedeira, or climbing further up the cliffs and walking by land to Cedeira, and it is there where you encounter your "Cruz de Ferro". The area is known for its wild rock formations, and the Celts created cairns (piles of rocks), just as they had done at the "Cruz de Ferro". When the christians took over, they erected a tall wooden cross on top of the biggest cairn, and called it "Milladoiro" (See photos below). Local pilgrims actually add stones to it to this day.

​

There is a superbly performed song by the famous Galician group, Luar Na Lubre. The song is called "Romeiro Ao Lonxe" (A pilgrim went to San Andres), with the singer Diana Navarro.​

in which are incorporated many of the legends about San Andres de Texido (the tune may sound familiar to you).
You will find those legends discussed in the following link (among others):

http://blog.turismo.gal/destinations-en/legends-and-myths-of-santo-andre-de-teixido/

The experience of going to San Andres and the climbing up the cliffs to the "Cruz de Madera" is well worth the effort.

Yes! I was hoping someone would mention San Andres—it was the reason I added one step of the Ingles to my odd patchwork of Caminos. Because reptiles and I have a long history of mutual attraction I had to go; the stone I left at the Cruz de Ferro and the one I left at the Millardoiro were both carved like lizards. Pretty little church filled with wax votive offerings. There are three pipes you’re supposed to drink from except the signs warn you not to do so, and you’re supposed to put bread on the water except signs also warn against that as well.