Love at Spain's Iron Cross

43 - Ponferrada

43

Ponferrada

Monday, June 28

Makena and Jordan left at dawn from Foncebadon, a village with just a dozen residents, and started for a city with 65,000. The scenery along the Camino de Santiago always changed, something they enjoyed. The two again walked past the Iron Cross, silently acknowledging their goodbyes. They looked at each other and smiled, both remembering and feeling grateful for their 'unburdening' yesterday.

They walked a short distance to another village, Manjarin, and saw signposts with directions and distances: Jerusalem 5000 km, Mexico 9376 km, Santiago 222 km. "Do you think Santiago is enough of a walk for us or should we add a few thousand miles?" asked Jordan.

Makena laughed.

They drank some water, ate a snack, took off their outer layer of clothes, and continued. The sun warmed their backs as they began to descend. Jordan's poles struck the trail before each step down, and he felt his knees thanking him. This side of the mountain was steeper than the other slope climbing up from Astorga.

"The hospitalero told me that Argentina beat Mexico 3-0 last night. Messi is still alive," said Makena.

"Good," said Jordan. "There are two games today, with the Netherlands playing at 4. Interested?"

"Yes. I guess the late game must be Brazil, but with the US out, the only late games I'd want to watch are those when Spain will be playing."

Jordan nodded his agreement. The mountain fell away toward a distant valley far below. They looked out across hills with wildflowers, trees, and a few cattle. "This is magnificent."

"Yes!" She smiled. "Did I tell you about my movie idea?"

Jordan shook his head.

"Now that they're a couple, my friends and I plan to make a pilgrimage film starring Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem." She told him some of their possible humorous antics.

"Thanks for telling me. And to further our trust, I am willing to sign an agreement of non-disclosure as well as an acknowledgment that no part of the profits will be for myself. However, as your friend, I would like to offer an occasional idea in support."

Makena smiled.

"Perhaps she carries him piggyback down this hill. Would you like to test out the process by carrying me, to help you write about it from experience?"

Makena laughed with delight. "I was thinking maybe Penelope would sit on his shoulders so that she could 'see farther than any man'. I am willing to participate atop yours to check out the view that way."

Jordan grinned.

She said, "And as a trade, any ideas I offer for your medieval pilgrimage book will be free of charge. What if the Arab Catholic saves the father of the cute Basque Christian?"

"That's a good idea, to help the father learn to trust him and perhaps depend on the help of the Mozarab. Thanks! But for your movie, have you considered who will star in it?"

"Not yet, but I thought about providing the two of them with stunt doubles. She's 35 and he's 41."

"Yeah, but you'd want to give them a percent of the ownership to avoid paying millions upfront."

Makena said, "Good plan. How about Twilight's Robert Pattinson and Megan Fox from Transformers?"

"Or maybe Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen from Star Wars?"