As Barbara Streisand would sing memories

 Blast from the past - 4 year ago at fromista

We´ve made it to the halfway house – and what a joy as we strolled into town at noon. Shops were open, B & Bs were open and had baths, we were smelling and the deal was done. 39 euro gets you a good clean in a hot tub, twin beds in case the diet´s not working and you need space, but most importantly nobody else.

Last night i got to sleep at 6.30am, I know this as it was precisely one minte after I´d said to Si – "Fat coughing french woman – time of death 6.29am – by Al with a pillow in the dorm".

 I dont know why I waited so long. She had a particular condition brought on by walking 250 miles when fat and unfit – sound familiar? – but hers was a breath, followed by a short breath, followed by a small cough, then a large cough then silence – well not quite.

I think she was doing a rosary in her sleep and one bead would fall off the string on to the floor – bounce twice then roll down the dorm and make a nice clang against the metal leg of our bunk beds.

 The first cycle took only 1 minute 47 and I started having a spread bet with myself as to whether it would be over or under 107 – when the make up was 134 seconds I thought "shit, I could have got to sleep".

There was one other sleep inducing opportunity, when she went to the toilet. She didn´t walk, more slid across the floor as if the legs were too heavy or maybe she liked to clean the floor with the soles of her feet. This glide across the floor, well actually it sounded like she was sanding the floor, took 3 minutes 42 and I definitely missed my opportunity to nod off.

But back to the present – we hae nae meat so cannae eat so we´re aff tae buy some!

Sent from my iPod