Idyllic

What a lovely day this turned out to be. It didn't begin particularly well - I washed some stuff, hung it out and then watched the rain spatter the windows, justifying the BBC app's prediction of an increased percentage chance of rain mid-morning. (I suppose I can take reassurance from that accuracy when I try to see what weather to expect on holiday!) Then there was the packing - I started organising my bedful of clothes into packing cubes, even checking them off on a list, until I was fed up. 

By now the sun had come out and it was time for lunch in the garden. Sounds posher than it was - I've been a bit over-efficient with the cutting down on food, so it was bread and cheese  and a handful of tomatoes. Quite posh cheese, though ... 

The best bit was a lovely hike up the hill behind Glenfinart Bay, at Ardentinny. The beach area, a favourite place when it's quiet, was mobbed with mobile homes and tents and noisy with barking dogs and banter. But we rose above it, physically at least, and the sounds died behind us as we climbed through the birch wood and out onto the open hillside with its views down the river. We wandered back down the back road, and sat for an idyllic 20 minutes on a bench in the village, at the water's edge. That's where I took this photo, looking down Loch Long to the Firth of Clyde. It was peaceful and restorative, and made us both forget just how tired we'd been.

A last little, unrelated thought as I cooked dinner: how long does on go on cooking as normal, lifting woks and heavy pans, pulling casseroles from a hot oven? I wonder at what age this just becomes impossible and we end up eating ready meals and one-pot suppers...