Why do I get myself into these things? (Rhetorical question!)

A hike in the mountains and a couple of nights stay over in a lodge sounded delightful. We were told a half hour bus ride and then an easy walk for 3 to 4 hours. The bus ride was 2 hours and that ‘easy’ walk took me 5 and a half and I wasn’t the last to arrive. The ‘easy’ wasn’t easy as you will see from the picture.

Maybe easy for a strong, 20 year old man but not for us older ones, yet there was no choice but to keep going. After 2 and a half hours my legs no longer hurt but keeping balance on those stones and rocks was challenging. Once there I thoroughly enjoyed the hot spiced wine!

There was only electricity for 2 hours each day, from 8:00-10:00pm, so lights out at 10 was literal. Only cold showers – and ice cold, straight from the mountain river. The beds were so cold and damp we all wore our clothes to sleep in.

And then there was John – Big John, as we called him. A giant at 6ft 5ins, he is Romanian but has lived in Canada for 8 years, has Canadian citizenship and a Waldorf teaching certificate. He was so pleased to have another Canadian there and took it upon himself to watch out for me and make sure I was OK. I appreciated that.