Counting blessings

After the difficult end to yesterday's walk brought on by the extended period of rain, it was good to wake feeling reasonably refreshed.  Having unpacked everything to help drying it out, the first job was to repack and then tidy up the church hallway.  That done, I headed over the road to the local cafe where I met Jon (who'd arrived at the campsite at about the same time last night) who it turns out is a member of a Methodist church in the NW of England and two couples who joined in conversation, one giving me a donation towards my fundraising.  After breakfast of porage, teacake and coffee I set off towards Torridon, making good progress all morning, despite more rain, a strong headwind and batches of passing cars resulting from work on the single carriageway road.

I'm told this is the most photographed deer in Torridon...it lives close to a carpark where I stopped to eat my packed lunch, and is fed by a group of locals.  Not sure of the reasons behind that, but I'm told it's partial to a banana as well as vegetables!  

Whilst I was putting my phone away, a voice called over to me and asked whether I'd like to come and inside and have a coffee.  For half an hour or so, I enjoyed the said coffee over conversation with Casper and Monique who come from The Netherlands and are currently enjoying touring the NW Highlands.  They've previously enjoyed several cycling and walking tours, and had been invited into camper vans to be given shelter and a drink.  When they got their own van, they vowed to return those favours - generosity breeding generosity (something reinforced to me by my hosts in Ghana in 2014).

The rest of the walk went smoothly, with the clouds lifting a bit.  Hopefully tomorrow's views from the Panoramic Lounge in the hostel will reveal sunlit vistas!

All-in-all a good day, prompting me to think about today's blessings, including:

- good night's sleep in the dry

- conversations over breakfast

- unprompted donations

- meeting Casper and Monique

- fantastic facilities at the Youth Hostel in a beautiful location

- a video call with Sandy this evening

- everything now dry

- a sense of being rested even though I've walked over 170 miles since leaving Cape Wrath

- a day off tomorrow