Day 29: Barbadelo to Portomarin
That really was a superb albergue last night, out in the middle of nowhere, modern facilities, and an excellent Italian dinner served in the garden under shade
The path today was in many respects similar to yesterday, with tracks through the forest linking up several small villages
And there it was, the 100km marker! Santiago is getting closer!
I am starting to see more and more hórreos, a particular style of storage structure common in Galicia
Hórreos are used to preserve and store food such as grains, corn, potatos, and chestnuts. They are usually raised off the ground, giving protection from soil moisture and rodents. The shape and construction material provides insulation and ventilation slots means that the food will cure and dry even in damp weather
There was a bit of a gnarly descent down...
... to the lake beside Portomarin...
... and then a climb back up to the town
It transpires that the old town of Portomarin was flooded following the construction of a dam in 1962 - yes, the 'lake' is a human-made reservoir
The entire town was relocated up on the hill, with the Iglesia de San Nicolás disassembled and rebuilt numbered stone by numbered stone
Apparently when the water level in the reservoir is low, you can still see the remnants of the old town, including the old bridge
This peregrino was suitably serious about the matter...
...but I kinda liked the next guy's approach. He was a local priest active when the town was flooded; I don't know why the umbrella
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