Running Man

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On the Camino you meet people then might not see them again for a couple of weeks, but you do remember them and usually their names. One man we met a couple of times was "Running Man", that's him with the green backpack. At first I thought he was just going too fast downhill, but no, jogging is his normal gait. His wife usually follows some way behind. Today we met up again with Barbara from Switzerland. I also got chatting to a Welsh man who once owned a restaurant where Warren Gatland was a regular customer. He said you couldn't get a peep out of Gatland but his wife was lovely. This morning we opted to get a taxi to Hospital (name of a village) rather than climb to O Cebreiro. I fully acknowledge I am not 75 any more. I assured the taxi driver I'd come back and do the climb when I'm younger. As we drove up the hill, it's big, in the dark we watched pilgrims struggling. The driver told us that many many people take taxis and busses to the top. We didn't get off scot free after Hospital we still had a few steep climbs to negotiate. Then it was downhill all the way, some places quite slippery. Initially, Glenise thought she would take a taxi down, but she persisted and made it to the bottom intact. Along the way we enjoyed some spectacular scenery, saw many small churches, got passed by a couple of herds of cows on their way to pasture, and enjoyed a delicious blueberry cheesecake! We had to walk through farm hamlets where the stock is kept inside and then let out to the fields accompanied by a farmer and very large dogs for protection. The hamlets were very stinky. Tonight we are in Triacastela, a village with some interesting history, see the photos. Tomorrow we are taking an alternative route via Samos, a place recommended by an Aussie pilgrim.