Day 1 – Saturday, 14th
October 2017
It is the evening of our first day in Keswick, and my first visit to the beautiful Lakes – reminiscent of Scotland, but not quite, although the rugged, fog-covered atmosphere was evocative and would surely set the scene for the days ahead.
Six thirty saw me arriving at Tom’s with my bags finally packed, awaiting Dan’s arrival. This time there would be five of us on the holiday (the Scotland crew, minus two). A more intimate company perhaps, and a chance to really grow my friendship with Josh, with whom I would be sharing a room.
The car journey up was reasonably uneventful, save for an eclectic music list (alas, not Mark’s radio shows, which I had rather hopefully prepared) courtesy of Dan and myself, playing ‘Guess the name’ with Eddie Stobart lorries (this time Sarah Catherine and Kerry Elizabeth), frustration with other motorists, and a lack of legroom on my part. I was slightly disappointed with the somewhat mixed reception to my music selection (admittedly the Macarena is very difficult to perform whilst driving), and sometimes it felt more like noise. In contrast, Dan’s ‘Spiegel im Spiegel’ and Tanita Tikaram made up for my apparent lack of taste.
On arrival in the Lakes Dan, Tom, Josh and I stopped off at a quaint cottage café, sheltering from the rather steady rain – so much for the optimistic forecast I had been promised. As I enjoyed my pot of tea and ham sandwich I reflected again on how I was finally on holiday and the fact that I was very much looking forward to this little escape.
Venna, having travelled by train, met us at Keswick. After obtaining our keys and arriving at the cottage, ‘Green Gables’, we unpacked and planned out the days ahead, at least where food was concerned. I had no specific cooking plans, being less deliberate than the Scotland trip, so I suggested my oft cooked bacon and tuna stir fry for Monday night. Tom, as expected, would provide us with his risotto – a hearty and popular meal, although the apple may be left out this time.
A subsequent trip to Booth’s (the local form of Waitrose or Tesco) gave us all the immediate food we would need, both communally and for our individual recipes. As a treat I picked up some Thatcher’s cider (predictable) and some highly recommended ‘Poacher’s Choice’ ruby ale, courtesy of Alan, a work colleague. Perfect drinks for our movie nights at the cottage. Having learned my lesson from Scotland, I didn’t go for the Katy cider this time as it would only tempt me to feel melancholy and lonesome, as per the Scotland associations; not the mood for this holiday.
We enjoyed a simple tortellini dinner, prepared by Tom and Josh – delicious, but rather lacking in quantity. Afterwards we christened the start of our holiday by sharing the complimentary bottle of red. I spontaneously messaged Sophie to ask for her translation of ‘La Vielle Ferme: mis en bouteille par la vieille ferme’ and used the opportunity to wish her all the best.
The evening rounded off with ‘Atonement’ (I stayed awake throughout!), a deep film with an engaging theme of reconciliation – or so it was toyed with.
Soon enough the others went their own ways, and I was left to my writings, peacefully reflecting on the day, and on life in general. I should perhaps also add that the book ‘The Shepherd’s Life’ which I had recently read, was set in the Lakes (not the Peaks), so I had actually already had an unexpected insight into this rugged landscape and local lifestyle; no wonder I’ve taken to it. But here I close the chapter on my first day. Plenty more to come.
It is the evening of our first day in Keswick, and my first visit to the beautiful Lakes – reminiscent of Scotland, but not quite, although the rugged, fog-covered atmosphere was evocative and would surely set the scene for the days ahead.
Six thirty saw me arriving at Tom’s with my bags finally packed, awaiting Dan’s arrival. This time there would be five of us on the holiday (the Scotland crew, minus two). A more intimate company perhaps, and a chance to really grow my friendship with Josh, with whom I would be sharing a room.
The car journey up was reasonably uneventful, save for an eclectic music list (alas, not Mark’s radio shows, which I had rather hopefully prepared) courtesy of Dan and myself, playing ‘Guess the name’ with Eddie Stobart lorries (this time Sarah Catherine and Kerry Elizabeth), frustration with other motorists, and a lack of legroom on my part. I was slightly disappointed with the somewhat mixed reception to my music selection (admittedly the Macarena is very difficult to perform whilst driving), and sometimes it felt more like noise. In contrast, Dan’s ‘Spiegel im Spiegel’ and Tanita Tikaram made up for my apparent lack of taste.
On arrival in the Lakes Dan, Tom, Josh and I stopped off at a quaint cottage café, sheltering from the rather steady rain – so much for the optimistic forecast I had been promised. As I enjoyed my pot of tea and ham sandwich I reflected again on how I was finally on holiday and the fact that I was very much looking forward to this little escape.
Venna, having travelled by train, met us at Keswick. After obtaining our keys and arriving at the cottage, ‘Green Gables’, we unpacked and planned out the days ahead, at least where food was concerned. I had no specific cooking plans, being less deliberate than the Scotland trip, so I suggested my oft cooked bacon and tuna stir fry for Monday night. Tom, as expected, would provide us with his risotto – a hearty and popular meal, although the apple may be left out this time.
A subsequent trip to Booth’s (the local form of Waitrose or Tesco) gave us all the immediate food we would need, both communally and for our individual recipes. As a treat I picked up some Thatcher’s cider (predictable) and some highly recommended ‘Poacher’s Choice’ ruby ale, courtesy of Alan, a work colleague. Perfect drinks for our movie nights at the cottage. Having learned my lesson from Scotland, I didn’t go for the Katy cider this time as it would only tempt me to feel melancholy and lonesome, as per the Scotland associations; not the mood for this holiday.
We enjoyed a simple tortellini dinner, prepared by Tom and Josh – delicious, but rather lacking in quantity. Afterwards we christened the start of our holiday by sharing the complimentary bottle of red. I spontaneously messaged Sophie to ask for her translation of ‘La Vielle Ferme: mis en bouteille par la vieille ferme’ and used the opportunity to wish her all the best.
The evening rounded off with ‘Atonement’ (I stayed awake throughout!), a deep film with an engaging theme of reconciliation – or so it was toyed with.
Soon enough the others went their own ways, and I was left to my writings, peacefully reflecting on the day, and on life in general. I should perhaps also add that the book ‘The Shepherd’s Life’ which I had recently read, was set in the Lakes (not the Peaks), so I had actually already had an unexpected insight into this rugged landscape and local lifestyle; no wonder I’ve taken to it. But here I close the chapter on my first day. Plenty more to come.
Day 2 – Sunday, 15th
October 2017
This morning I woke around seven thirty, and hearing that Josh was already awake, we started chatting – unsurprisingly about theology. The theme was ‘soul ties’ and the unhelpful false teaching surrounding interactions between believers (in marriage) or between a believer and an unbeliever, potentially (so the teaching goes) leaving us open to demon possession. My immediate reaction, on which Josh and I were agreed, was that the concept of ‘soul ties’ is not scriptural – the term is never even mentioned in the Word, so it should be strongly challenged, rather than blindly accepted.
Once showered and dressed, we had breakfast and started the Lord’s day with a biblical devotion from Mark 4:41. What kind of man was Jesus, that He could calm storms and have power to set us free from sin!
Our church service this morning was at Lake Road Congregational Church, where Venna and Dan had worshipped previously when in the area. The service opened with Psalm 51, although the main theme was John 7:37 to John 8:11, looking at the compassion of Jesus.
Our preacher started by assuring us that all scripture is God-breathed, useful for correcting and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). Encouraging that all scripture has weight and power, but some of us struggled to see the link with the topic of compassion.
Now, on John 8, we were asked to consider the difference between pity and compassion. William Booth was quoted as saying that ‘compassion is pity with boots on’ – in other words an active response that sees someone’s need and does something about it. So in John 8 we see Jesus’ compassion towards the woman caught in adultery.
Interestingly, when the Pharisees come to Jesus to try and trap Jesus in His words (would He speak against Moses’ law?) He stoops down as if He hasn’t heard them. I’ve often wondered what was written in the dust, and an answer was suggested, reading Jeremiah 17:13 – ‘Those who forsake the Lord will be ashamed and their names shall be written in the earth.’ This is likely what happened, as secret sins were exposed, and the Pharisees departed in shame.
The essence of the passage was to first check our own hearts and attitudes before attempting to address someone else’s, akin to Jesus’ plank and speck illustration. He is not saying that we should not seek to judge others, but that we need to first recognise our own position before God. When we do He is just to forgive us so we can forgive others and gently lead others. When we confront sin in others we must be humble, not cruel, showing compassion, beginning with mercy and hope leading to forgiveness. This was shown through the interaction with the woman in John 8. ‘Be as a hospital, not a prison.’
Hearing this sermon, it particularly spoke to me. I was reminded to consider my own sin and recognise that I, as with others, am only saved by grace, so who am I to boast? God tells us what we need to hear.
To close we sang ‘Why all my fear and unbelief?’ including the line ‘Complete atonement you have made and to the utmost limit paid all that your people owed’ – perhaps rendering last night’s choice of film divinely inspired, and giving us the resolution and peace that was lacking from last night’s story. We can be at one with God and each other.
Afterwards I spoke with some of the local church members, including a few missionaries; their prayer was for peace in their war-torn region. It was encouraging to hear of mission work, as I had also spoken to a lady, Ruth, who had served the gospel cause in Papua New Guinea for many years. A reminder that we are such a diverse church family.
Tom left the rest of us, and went out for a stroll. Meanwhile, we took the opportunity to rest up (I caught up on my writing for the morning’s service), as we’d be back at the church for the afternoon service at four.
Joe, the visiting preacher, spoke on Psalm 73, about how Christians should not be disheartened when they see the wicked prospering. Rather look at the full picture – how will we end?
After the service I spent much of the time chatting to Joe’s wife, Emma (stylish in a tweed blazer), who was in special needs teaching back in Wigan. Venna joined the conversation, drawing from her personal experience in the field. I also encouraged David, the pastor, that we were praying for the congregation – particularly for people to join and stay around, as workers in the local ministry.
The evening consisted of a delicious salmon spaghetti, prepared by Tom, after which we retired to enjoy ‘The Night Manager’. The increased interval since the original viewing (on TV) seemed to make the drama more compelling, and I pushed for a double bill – Tom agreed. In a rather Bondian spirit, I reclined with a glass of red, enjoying seeing the drama unfold. TV well executed, with plenty of style, even if we did end up watching episode three again!
What does tomorrow bring? Hard to say, really. Depends on the weather. Sometimes, however, it’s nice to be spontaneous – so watch this space…
Day 3 – Monday, 16th October 2017
Once the three-part wakeup call had died down, I showered and headed down for breakfast. This morning’s pre-devotion theological discussion was on the theme of the authenticity and reliability of scripture – very pertinent, considering Sunday morning’s sermon passage. It felt strange to consider that some parts of scripture were of an uncertain source, but Dan explained that the passages in consideration (Mark 16:9-20; John 8:53-11) primarily reinforced definite biblical truths found elsewhere in scripture, so could be accepted to overlooked without affecting the foundations of one’s faith. It may be worth considering Dan’s paper on biblical authenticity.
The morning’s devotional verse was Proverbs 21:1, looking at the Lord’s sovereign will, and how He is in total control of our circumstances. That said, we delayed our morning day trip until eleven as the weather was proving slightly dark and gloomy. Would it be an outdoor day after all?
When we left the house the weather had calmed sufficiently to not be an issue. Our first stop, Ashness Bridge, and a chance en route to admire the russet, golden colours of autumn – a truly beautiful time of year. Not far away was the ‘Surprise View’ in Ashness Woods, the contrast of the clear, reflective water against the green hillsides giving a breath-taking vista with echoes of Scotland and Canada (vis a vis Lake Louise). Sometimes words cannot do justice to the beauty or colours in a landscape, suffice to say that God is truly an artist.
On through Honister Pass we travelled, to a soundtrack of strings, evoking a Tolkien-esque voyage, before we came to Buttermere for lunch – a rather unusual combination of hotels and restaurants sitting directly in the shadow of farmyards and sheep. So we retired to the Fish Inn.
After fussing over the three collies outside the local Syke Farm Tearooms (remembering Ted, the lighthouse dog at Ardnamurchan) we entered for cake. A carrot cake is surely the way to my heart and affections, though the white chocolate topping was rather rich for my taste – needless to say I finished it anyway.
We lazed at the café until roughly four o’clock, before setting off for our first proper trek – around Buttermere Lake. Venna, with her murder mystery, returned to the Fish Inn to enjoy a couple of hours of peace.
As the four of us circuited Buttermere Lake we talked of the landscape, and in keeping with the feel of the location, considered the characters and lore of Tolkien’s Middle Earth. We could sense a storm was brewing, as conversation was frequently drowned out by strong gusts blowing directly at us, almost carrying us along our path. (As I write this now, at the house, I see it was associated with Storm Ophelia, currently giving our island rather a beating. A red sky in Kingston, so I hear – apocalyptic stuff.)
It was my turn for dinner, so on returning to the house (the rain and wind being much more noticeable now) I showered and set to preparing my simple bacon and tuna stir-fry (sans prawns, as I didn’t appreciate the required defrost time). The rice was on the firm side, but the meal proved a success!
The day closed with the penultimate episode of ‘The Night Manager’ – even Venna’s attention was held fast at this point, as the story began to reach its culmination. It was the perfect time to savour my ‘Poacher’s Choice’ beer – certainly a treat!
The wind is howling outside and the rain is beating with window panes, set to continue into the early hours. Tomorrow’s activities are somewhat uncertain. The true drama of this holiday may have only just begun.
Day 4 – Tuesday, 17th October 2017
This morning’s devotional looked at the topic of unfaithfulness and disloyalty (Psalm 78:57), prompting us to keep our focus on Jesus.
By the time we started out for the day, I had written two of my postcards. I just needed to find somewhere to post them, so with that in mind I slipped them into my rucksack along with my extra clothing for our walk.
Before arriving at the Honister Slate Mine to start our hike, we retraced our steps to Buttermere to retrieve Tom’s phone, lost yesterday. He was immensely thankful.
We left the car at the slate mine, and the four of us (Venna had a day out at Grasmere) dressed ourselves up in preparation for the trek ahead – jumpers, hat, boots and waterproof trousers. I wish I had thick gloves, and as Dan pointed out, perhaps it would have been better if the three of us (Tom, Josh and I) had been wearing brighter colours, not just black – like three ninjas.
As I set off, the postcards were still in my bag – I can’t quite think why. Thinking I should have left them with Venna to post, I could only now try and work out a way of keeping them dry. On the way up to our destination, Innominate Tarn, we stopped off at a mountain hut (‘bothie’) for lunch. Lunch itself was relatively uninteresting (ham and cheese sandwiches), but the bothie, with its fireplace and previously left behind provisions, had a comfortable, lived-in feel, although a faint smell of gas gave it a mild ‘chemistry lab’ quality.
Feeling energised, we set off once more on the voyage to the secret lake (‘tarn’) at the top of the mountain. The rain got progressively heavier and I became increasingly grateful for my waterproof trousers and extra clothing. My bag was getting wetter, and eventually I considered the driest place for the cards was in my dry trousers under my waterproofs; thankfully they stayed dry and my worry was over. Josh and Tom struggled on, across the streams and over the rocks, slipping and sliding from time to time. Josh, in his own words, found the experience bittersweet with moments of excitement and coldness. Putting one foot in front of the other, we pressed on as best we could.
At the summit, Innominate Tarn, final resting place of Arthur Wainwright’s ashes, appeared like something out of Macbeth or some gothic story. Cloud hung over the low peaks, skirting the lake, and the wind and rain caused the grey water to dance and the golden reeds to sway slightly. I imagined the lake holding a secret, to which we as mere wanderers, were not privy. A vaguely ghostly air. However, before I could give this much thought we started downwards again, back to the bothie and so to the car.
As we walked, I took the brave decision to tunnel through a conduit that Dan had previously mentioned. Crouching and scrambling through, trying not to fall in the stream in the process, I emerged to symbolically begin a new walk, characterised by boldness and self-assurance, resolved to being firm with my companions about respecting personal space. On returning to the bothie we rested, listening to Gina G and the yodelling song from the last Eurovision.
On the way back to the house I found a post box, which solved my earlier problem! Upon our return I finished my other correspondence and awaited Josh’s dinner, sausage casserole with rice. Simple and satisfying – a favourite (so far).
After a democratic vote we settled on an evening movie ‘Panic Room’, new to me. ‘The Night Manager’ final episode would wait, building suspense and anticipation. Tomorrow may be a day of walking and cinema, but the final plans have yet to be made. However, this being a holiday, such decisions can wait. Now for sleep.
This morning I woke around seven thirty, and hearing that Josh was already awake, we started chatting – unsurprisingly about theology. The theme was ‘soul ties’ and the unhelpful false teaching surrounding interactions between believers (in marriage) or between a believer and an unbeliever, potentially (so the teaching goes) leaving us open to demon possession. My immediate reaction, on which Josh and I were agreed, was that the concept of ‘soul ties’ is not scriptural – the term is never even mentioned in the Word, so it should be strongly challenged, rather than blindly accepted.
Once showered and dressed, we had breakfast and started the Lord’s day with a biblical devotion from Mark 4:41. What kind of man was Jesus, that He could calm storms and have power to set us free from sin!
Our church service this morning was at Lake Road Congregational Church, where Venna and Dan had worshipped previously when in the area. The service opened with Psalm 51, although the main theme was John 7:37 to John 8:11, looking at the compassion of Jesus.
Our preacher started by assuring us that all scripture is God-breathed, useful for correcting and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). Encouraging that all scripture has weight and power, but some of us struggled to see the link with the topic of compassion.
Now, on John 8, we were asked to consider the difference between pity and compassion. William Booth was quoted as saying that ‘compassion is pity with boots on’ – in other words an active response that sees someone’s need and does something about it. So in John 8 we see Jesus’ compassion towards the woman caught in adultery.
Interestingly, when the Pharisees come to Jesus to try and trap Jesus in His words (would He speak against Moses’ law?) He stoops down as if He hasn’t heard them. I’ve often wondered what was written in the dust, and an answer was suggested, reading Jeremiah 17:13 – ‘Those who forsake the Lord will be ashamed and their names shall be written in the earth.’ This is likely what happened, as secret sins were exposed, and the Pharisees departed in shame.
The essence of the passage was to first check our own hearts and attitudes before attempting to address someone else’s, akin to Jesus’ plank and speck illustration. He is not saying that we should not seek to judge others, but that we need to first recognise our own position before God. When we do He is just to forgive us so we can forgive others and gently lead others. When we confront sin in others we must be humble, not cruel, showing compassion, beginning with mercy and hope leading to forgiveness. This was shown through the interaction with the woman in John 8. ‘Be as a hospital, not a prison.’
Hearing this sermon, it particularly spoke to me. I was reminded to consider my own sin and recognise that I, as with others, am only saved by grace, so who am I to boast? God tells us what we need to hear.
To close we sang ‘Why all my fear and unbelief?’ including the line ‘Complete atonement you have made and to the utmost limit paid all that your people owed’ – perhaps rendering last night’s choice of film divinely inspired, and giving us the resolution and peace that was lacking from last night’s story. We can be at one with God and each other.
Afterwards I spoke with some of the local church members, including a few missionaries; their prayer was for peace in their war-torn region. It was encouraging to hear of mission work, as I had also spoken to a lady, Ruth, who had served the gospel cause in Papua New Guinea for many years. A reminder that we are such a diverse church family.
Tom left the rest of us, and went out for a stroll. Meanwhile, we took the opportunity to rest up (I caught up on my writing for the morning’s service), as we’d be back at the church for the afternoon service at four.
Joe, the visiting preacher, spoke on Psalm 73, about how Christians should not be disheartened when they see the wicked prospering. Rather look at the full picture – how will we end?
After the service I spent much of the time chatting to Joe’s wife, Emma (stylish in a tweed blazer), who was in special needs teaching back in Wigan. Venna joined the conversation, drawing from her personal experience in the field. I also encouraged David, the pastor, that we were praying for the congregation – particularly for people to join and stay around, as workers in the local ministry.
The evening consisted of a delicious salmon spaghetti, prepared by Tom, after which we retired to enjoy ‘The Night Manager’. The increased interval since the original viewing (on TV) seemed to make the drama more compelling, and I pushed for a double bill – Tom agreed. In a rather Bondian spirit, I reclined with a glass of red, enjoying seeing the drama unfold. TV well executed, with plenty of style, even if we did end up watching episode three again!
What does tomorrow bring? Hard to say, really. Depends on the weather. Sometimes, however, it’s nice to be spontaneous – so watch this space…
Day 3 – Monday, 16th October 2017
Once the three-part wakeup call had died down, I showered and headed down for breakfast. This morning’s pre-devotion theological discussion was on the theme of the authenticity and reliability of scripture – very pertinent, considering Sunday morning’s sermon passage. It felt strange to consider that some parts of scripture were of an uncertain source, but Dan explained that the passages in consideration (Mark 16:9-20; John 8:53-11) primarily reinforced definite biblical truths found elsewhere in scripture, so could be accepted to overlooked without affecting the foundations of one’s faith. It may be worth considering Dan’s paper on biblical authenticity.
The morning’s devotional verse was Proverbs 21:1, looking at the Lord’s sovereign will, and how He is in total control of our circumstances. That said, we delayed our morning day trip until eleven as the weather was proving slightly dark and gloomy. Would it be an outdoor day after all?
When we left the house the weather had calmed sufficiently to not be an issue. Our first stop, Ashness Bridge, and a chance en route to admire the russet, golden colours of autumn – a truly beautiful time of year. Not far away was the ‘Surprise View’ in Ashness Woods, the contrast of the clear, reflective water against the green hillsides giving a breath-taking vista with echoes of Scotland and Canada (vis a vis Lake Louise). Sometimes words cannot do justice to the beauty or colours in a landscape, suffice to say that God is truly an artist.
On through Honister Pass we travelled, to a soundtrack of strings, evoking a Tolkien-esque voyage, before we came to Buttermere for lunch – a rather unusual combination of hotels and restaurants sitting directly in the shadow of farmyards and sheep. So we retired to the Fish Inn.
After fussing over the three collies outside the local Syke Farm Tearooms (remembering Ted, the lighthouse dog at Ardnamurchan) we entered for cake. A carrot cake is surely the way to my heart and affections, though the white chocolate topping was rather rich for my taste – needless to say I finished it anyway.
We lazed at the café until roughly four o’clock, before setting off for our first proper trek – around Buttermere Lake. Venna, with her murder mystery, returned to the Fish Inn to enjoy a couple of hours of peace.
As the four of us circuited Buttermere Lake we talked of the landscape, and in keeping with the feel of the location, considered the characters and lore of Tolkien’s Middle Earth. We could sense a storm was brewing, as conversation was frequently drowned out by strong gusts blowing directly at us, almost carrying us along our path. (As I write this now, at the house, I see it was associated with Storm Ophelia, currently giving our island rather a beating. A red sky in Kingston, so I hear – apocalyptic stuff.)
It was my turn for dinner, so on returning to the house (the rain and wind being much more noticeable now) I showered and set to preparing my simple bacon and tuna stir-fry (sans prawns, as I didn’t appreciate the required defrost time). The rice was on the firm side, but the meal proved a success!
The day closed with the penultimate episode of ‘The Night Manager’ – even Venna’s attention was held fast at this point, as the story began to reach its culmination. It was the perfect time to savour my ‘Poacher’s Choice’ beer – certainly a treat!
The wind is howling outside and the rain is beating with window panes, set to continue into the early hours. Tomorrow’s activities are somewhat uncertain. The true drama of this holiday may have only just begun.
Day 4 – Tuesday, 17th October 2017
This morning’s devotional looked at the topic of unfaithfulness and disloyalty (Psalm 78:57), prompting us to keep our focus on Jesus.
By the time we started out for the day, I had written two of my postcards. I just needed to find somewhere to post them, so with that in mind I slipped them into my rucksack along with my extra clothing for our walk.
Before arriving at the Honister Slate Mine to start our hike, we retraced our steps to Buttermere to retrieve Tom’s phone, lost yesterday. He was immensely thankful.
We left the car at the slate mine, and the four of us (Venna had a day out at Grasmere) dressed ourselves up in preparation for the trek ahead – jumpers, hat, boots and waterproof trousers. I wish I had thick gloves, and as Dan pointed out, perhaps it would have been better if the three of us (Tom, Josh and I) had been wearing brighter colours, not just black – like three ninjas.
As I set off, the postcards were still in my bag – I can’t quite think why. Thinking I should have left them with Venna to post, I could only now try and work out a way of keeping them dry. On the way up to our destination, Innominate Tarn, we stopped off at a mountain hut (‘bothie’) for lunch. Lunch itself was relatively uninteresting (ham and cheese sandwiches), but the bothie, with its fireplace and previously left behind provisions, had a comfortable, lived-in feel, although a faint smell of gas gave it a mild ‘chemistry lab’ quality.
Feeling energised, we set off once more on the voyage to the secret lake (‘tarn’) at the top of the mountain. The rain got progressively heavier and I became increasingly grateful for my waterproof trousers and extra clothing. My bag was getting wetter, and eventually I considered the driest place for the cards was in my dry trousers under my waterproofs; thankfully they stayed dry and my worry was over. Josh and Tom struggled on, across the streams and over the rocks, slipping and sliding from time to time. Josh, in his own words, found the experience bittersweet with moments of excitement and coldness. Putting one foot in front of the other, we pressed on as best we could.
At the summit, Innominate Tarn, final resting place of Arthur Wainwright’s ashes, appeared like something out of Macbeth or some gothic story. Cloud hung over the low peaks, skirting the lake, and the wind and rain caused the grey water to dance and the golden reeds to sway slightly. I imagined the lake holding a secret, to which we as mere wanderers, were not privy. A vaguely ghostly air. However, before I could give this much thought we started downwards again, back to the bothie and so to the car.
As we walked, I took the brave decision to tunnel through a conduit that Dan had previously mentioned. Crouching and scrambling through, trying not to fall in the stream in the process, I emerged to symbolically begin a new walk, characterised by boldness and self-assurance, resolved to being firm with my companions about respecting personal space. On returning to the bothie we rested, listening to Gina G and the yodelling song from the last Eurovision.
On the way back to the house I found a post box, which solved my earlier problem! Upon our return I finished my other correspondence and awaited Josh’s dinner, sausage casserole with rice. Simple and satisfying – a favourite (so far).
After a democratic vote we settled on an evening movie ‘Panic Room’, new to me. ‘The Night Manager’ final episode would wait, building suspense and anticipation. Tomorrow may be a day of walking and cinema, but the final plans have yet to be made. However, this being a holiday, such decisions can wait. Now for sleep.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.