July 13

July 13
Barbadelo to Portomarin 18.2km
A very beautiful easy day! We were looking forward to an easy day after 3 days of mountains and extra kilometers. This morning we stopped at a really peaceful place with gardens, cherry trees, and great views. It even had palm trees and reminded us of Costa Rica. We enjoyed a cafe con leche and a rest knowing that we didn´t have to hurry along as it was a short hiking day.  We hiked with two of our California teacher friends, Lisa and Christine, who always make things fun and make time fly.  As we went down a long narrow rocky trail we came upon a couple herding their cattle up the trail toward us. The husband was behind a few cows and while he was concerned that we not use our trekking poles to smack the cows, he was friendly enough, however at the back of the herd was his wife, who was violently angry with us, calling us pigs among other names, and saying we should move further off the trail.  When she noticed Lisa taking a video she really freaked out and said no pictures, pigs, no pictures, and came after Lisa with a sickle. We have a hilarious video of it, at the end all you can hear is Lisa screaming.  It was actually very scarey, I was trying to think of what I could do to diffuse the situation, when the woman moved on.  Oh, well, it gave us something to talk and laugh about for a few kilometers. 
Before we knew it we were in Portomarin, a river city built on a reservoir. Because of the building of the reservoir  in 1960 much of the city was moved to higher ground, including two churches which had to be moved stone by stone, and rebuilt.  As we came into the city there were all kinds of kayaks, sailboats, etc. out on the reservoir-river.  So we thought it would be fun to rent kayaks, however, turned out it was a private children´s school doing their lessons.  Darn!  Had a good pilgrim´s dinner, a nice clean albergue, and a special pilgrim´s mass.  So, Mike likes to say, ¨no running on the camino¨, but apparently also no kayaking on the camino.  Oh well, whichever way you´re traveling, buen camino.