Mercadoiro - Hospital de la Cruz 16.8km

Well that was an interesting evening.  The pilgrim menu offered  Galician soup. Chicken stock with potatoes, and a leafy green.  The Main was pig cheeks and potatoes, everyone at the table thought they'd be getting thinly slices pork with fries 😳 nope, a bowl with fist sized cheeks, boiled potatoes in a broth.  It actually wasn't to bad, if I was making it I would have taken the time to clean the cheeks, ya know get rid of the connected tissues and collagen.  Janis took one look at it and said "I can't eat that", she was lucky she was only served one, my bowl had two 😜. We sat with a couple of retired teachers from Australia, they've been on the way for 6 weeks.  After polishing off the vino it was time to head for bed.

When the hosperila showed us our bunks I couldn't help but notice the room wreaked of something rotten.  We'd opened the window in hopes the smell would disappear.  No such luck, but there was a young woman in the top bunk and I'd asked her if she could smell the smell.  Yes it's dreadful, she was sleeping down stairs in a 4 bed room all by herself and didn't feel safe.  I said I'd be willing to move down there, so we gathered our gear and vacated the rotten room.  I had a great sleep, probably the best night so far and I didn't even dream of dead mice in walls. 😄

I was thinking that rain we had yesterday was a good thing, we walked through lots of hamlets and villages with cows, the rain helped keep the flies and the Cow dung to a dull roar.
This morning we didn't leave until 8:30 again walking through small villages. Portomarin has some interesting history, they rebuilt the church of St. John as its original one is submerged under waters of the Balesar reservoir. Which was built in 1963.  We walked through a fair amount of woodlands and on track called senda, there was a fare amount of uphill but I don't mind that.  The top of the hill always provides an amazing view.  We stopped in Gonzar for some bacon n eggs, then it was a short walk to Hospital de la Cruz.  Tonight it's sheets, bedding, towels oh what a treat.  The weefee doesn't work here so very few pictures today.  Until San Xulian Buen Camino 👣👣👣👣👣
Im just under the 80km marker 😄👏👏👏