Keith said that it was really a beautiful yesterday. The sun came up and there was a mist in the valleys. It was a good walk to Portomarin. (Note from L: Sorry everyone, but I’m catching up and talking about yesterday when he’s already in Ventas de Naron now—I’ve got some traveling of my own this week so it may take another day or two for me to get back to same-day updates. Thanks for your patience.)

There were a bunch of people that he walked with for a few minutes here and there. There was a group from North Carolina and Georgia and he walked with one of the women from their group named, Dolores, who was from Atlanta. She’d lost her bandana so he gave her one of his (cool kindness). He also ran into a guy from Marietta, Georgia (we’d live in Smyrna which is basically across the street) and Keith went up to him later and said, “So…Marietta–home of the big chicken!” (Which is a landmark often used when giving people driving directions in Marietta.) He laughed in surprise and said, “I guess you have been there.” That was fun.

Keith also talked with a Frenchman who’d been on the road for six weeks. He’d started in France somewhere and they were asking each other “How are your feet?” Knock on wood, but Keith’s have been problem-free and we’re hoping it stays that way. I was happy to hear Keith tell me, “I’m really loving these shoes.” That story alone deserves to be retold someday, but not now. :)

Others he bumped into on the trail included: a bunch of Americans; some people from Canada; a woman from California; a guy from Chicago; and another couple from Charlotte, NC. Interestingly enough when Keith was talking to me on the phone in the morning in Morgade before heading to Portomarin–a taxi pulled up and dropped a couple people off. They were having their suitcases taken to their destination and were only carrying tiny little packs. Much later down the Camino Keith was walking through a barn yard and a door opens and these same two people came out saying goodbye to the old man who was letting them out of the barn. Later down the road he talked to them and they turned out to be Americans. The guy was from Oregon and had a house in Vancouver. Keith asked how they got entrance to the barn and they told him that the guy waved them in and showed them his still and that it was the coolest thing. He gave them a drink and it was very strong. They showed Keith a photo of a great old copper still and he was, of course, really jealous. He was tempted to go back. We figured that the old guy must do that for random pilgrims. Another old guy who lived near there pointed at the spray painted yellow arrows (Camino markers) and said he did that (painted them). Keith said it was a lot of fun.

While waiting for his dinner (a burger—“But don’t eat the fries!!”) he was sitting outside and these people came by and were looking for a hotel and it turned out to be the one he was staying at. It turned out that the woman was from Portland. That’s the second person he’s talked to from Portland and she said she’d met three others from there herself. They’ve been saying that there have been a lot more Americans on the Camino this year than previous years. (Keith credits Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez—check out their movie “The Way” and you can see some of what Keith’s been seeing on his adventure.) After dinner he got his credencial stamped at the church–that made three stamps for the day (there’s a minimum of 2 needed).