Friday 31st July 2026

Our hotel was a little idiosyncratic, the toilet had a device for mixing material up, and had just two plug sockets, so recharging batteries was difficult.

But the staff, for the most part were friendly, even if the owner was a bully to her staff, we appreciated the laughs we had.

The plan for the day was to take the chairlift to the top of the gorger, then walk up the trail to the glacial lake, then wander down looking at and snapping the flora in the verdant valley.

Only, no one told Mother nature of our plans.

We had breakfast, and were ready to go at nine. A drive to the base of the chairlift, then a ten minute ride up through the trees and fields to the base of the trail.

It was warm and the sun shone. We snapped butterflies and flowers, and it was cool enough not to need frequent water stops.

Then we began the walk up, through a trail marked by dry stone walls, and getting steeper.

After twenty minutes the first rain fell. I stopped, packed the camera away and put my rain jacket on.

I got hot, but stayed dry.

The trail got steeper, and I was left behind by the rest of the group.

The rain stopped. I took off my jacket and got out my camera.

I carried on climbing.

Then it rained again, so I stopped once more to put my jacket on, and carried on climbing, though the trail had stones, which the rain made slippery. I could others from the group at the top of the trail, it seemed I would never catch up.

I did some 4,000 steps, the rain was coming down harder, and I thought with each step up, meant there would be another back down.

I sighed, and began to walk down.

Hard at first, but the trail levelled out, and in half an hour I was back at the top of the chairlift where there was a cafe. I went in and ordered a coffee and a Coke.

A familiar figure was approaching. Jools.

I went out and greeted her, “Mon cherie!”

She joined me in a drink and a slice of walnut and syrup flan.

Others came in out of the rain to have a drink and shelter some.

The rain stopped and the sun came out. Jools went down to the village, and I went butterfly hunting, though over the mountains I could see storm clouds gathering, and we were told if there was a storm, the lift would be closed, so I went down too.

And met Jools at the bottom where we waited for the free bus back into the centre of town.

Jools went off exploring, while I found a place to sit and eat my snap.

Then back to the hotel where I wrote, listened to a pod, then had a shower.

So the afternoon passed.

We met for evening debrief and drinks, then went to dinner where wine and laughs flowed.