May 14 O'Ceibreiro to Tricastela 16.30 miles, 38,264 steps

IToday was supposed to be an easy downhill 11mile stroll.  All went well for the first part as we lingered talking to people and photographing the fantastic vistas.  Then the way went missing. We'd just run into a herd of pointy horned dairy cows coming down the village road and while Craig was filming them and trying to remain unscathed by their horns, he ran into a nettle patch. 

That all must have disrupted our flow

because for the next few hours we wandered through the hills trying to find the original Camino.  That didn't work and we ended up on the road going in the wrong direction ! Help arrived in the form of a car that stopped and re-directed us down the hill for 4 or 5 kilometers where we met up with the original path and followed it into Tricastela. 

We just returned from dinner joined by the Australian couple we met a few days back in Molinseca.  She's a family doc and he's a principal of an elementary school so we had a lively conversation about the similar woes of our respective systems.  

We are getting close to Santiago. In fact, our destination tomorrow is Sarria and from there it's 100 kilometers to Santiago. Many people start here because this distance allows one to claim their compostela.  The vibes on th trail change some  as many tour groups descend and people travel lightly with luggage transports and shorter distances. Everyone makes their own Camino.

Thought for the day: 

As a yoga teaches you to let the yoga do you rather than you do yoga I'm trying to do the same now with the Camino and not feel pressure to have some set experience .