midges – Miriam Drori, Author

Home From Home – Day 11

We’ve been discussing it for days. I have said I don’t want to do that walk again. I remember how hard it was last time – especially the climb at the end. I make it very clear that I don’t want it.

We do the walk. 17.5 kilometres passing Loch na Sealga and Gleann Chaorachain. What lovely names! The walk is hard. And all the time I’m waiting for that difficult climb.

It never comes. There is no difficult climb at the end. Where did it go?

We realise that last time we did that walk in reverse, so that today’s scramble down the steep hill in the morning was our evening climb ten years ago. What a relief!

The never-far-away midges make an appearance this evening, but the fish and chips in a pub restaurant in Ullapool are excellent, as are the potato soup and apple crumble. So now I can add another tick – of the inanimate variety.

Eat shortbread	√
Drink cider	√
Eat ploughman’s lunch in pub	X
Eat fish and chips	√
Eat salt and vinegar crisps	√
Eat scones with jam and cream	X
If summer, feel rain	√
Buy underwear in M&S	X

Home From Home – Day 5

Bowing to popular opinion, I continue with second person POV. But I reserve the right to revert to first or third or any other at my discretion. LOL

***

Only foureen-and-a-half kilometres today. The weather is good and you’re ignoring those sores on your feet. You’re also getting used to the bogs, to skirting them or jumping at the narrowest part. The river is more of a hurdle. He jumps, barely reaching the other side. You decide not to risk that, and he holds your hand while you step on a convenient stone in the middle.

You’re proud to have the upper hand when it comes to finding the way across the barbed wire fence. He tries to climb over it. You crawl underneath and he follows.

“That was our last hurdle,” he says. Maybe it was his last. You find the eighty metre climb through heather bushes very tough. And the path down to the beach is rather perilous.

The walk back from the beach is better, except for another water crossing, where sticks and stones have been positioned to assist you. From the other side, he says, “It’s harder than it looks.” You say, “It looks hard.”

You dash from the car to the restaurant. Looking out of the window, you can’t help smiling at the sight of people outside rubbing their faces. One man manages to smoke a cigarette while his face is covered with netting. Midges!