Walking and friends...

Who knew that I would get so excited about a book on walks but hey that is how I rock 'n roll these days!!!

I found this book yesterday and it is going to become the Tuesday Girlie Walking Bible as there are a great number of walks in and around our area that we will be able to tackle.

Today being Tuesday we were walking and had already decided to do Rachel's longer Kathikas walk in reverse so Big Dog Hill comes at the end but thereafter we are adding the Machu Pichu loop to extend the distance that we travel - although we didn't know exactly how long this walk would be.

The weather forecast for this week had been wall to wall sunshine but we had been duped and today it was grey and damp and looked set to rain but undaunted three of the four Girlies (Belinda couldn't make it) assembled outside the Farmyard in Kathikas to walk.  I am amazed that we are now so enthusiastic that a spot of rain doesn't bother us and we carry on regardless.  Shame though because the weather had been forecast to be sunny and it was such a difference from yesterday.

Our walk didn't look quite so exciting with the drizzle and grey conditions and trying to walk up into the centre of Kathikas was difficult as the cobbles are so very slippery.   It was really quite cool as we started out and even though it was early (8.30am) we saw quite a bit of traffic today which we don't normally.

Fortunately the drizzle soon petered out and we could see the sky clearing and some sun threatening to poke through which meant that we all started to get a bit warm - I had to take off my new little walking jacket but Rachel stopped short of taking off her top because she didn't feel the world was ready to see her in her sport's bra only!!

After Big Dog Hill my two amiga were more than happy to tackle the Machu Pichu loop but I had totally forgotten just how much of it was uphill and the surface underfoot was loose and rubbly so it was hard going but we did it and on the last hill going up to the Farmyard Rachel was fair skipping along as she was so thrilled to have completed over 9km today!

The remainder of the day was spent getting ready for our lovely guests tonight as Di and Rob were coming round and having a meal with us for Christmas.  I had chosen to cook one of Rob's favourites - Stifado which was busy bubbling away in the slow cooker having had days in the pressure cooker tenderising.

I love our house at Christmas even though we have pared back on the decorations this year - mindful that for many this will not be a time of celebration.  It is a time of great uncertainty and the news regarding Covid is not great - new strains have been found - more contagious than the last.  Anyone arriving on the island now is shipped off for quarantine.

We had a lovely evening - as we have done for several years now we played the present game - our variation of the game introduced to us by my sister and family.  We have changed the rules to take into account there are only four of us playing and the gifts are kept secret and hidden in bags although as they are to cost no more than 5 euros each there isn't much to get too excited about and even more so this year as Jumbos (the Holy Grail of present game gifts) was closed at the 11th hour.

Anyway it was lovely to spend the evening with Di and Rob who must have broken the four minute mile to make it home in time for curfew!!!  Merry Christmas to you both and let's hope 2021 is a better year for us all and we can get back to some normality (whatever that might be).