"The boots are smiling"

So said the other Marjorie when she visited this afternoon and spotted them drying in the garage. They have been cleaned (not perfectly, but enough for me) and then polished.

I have an earworm of "these boots are made for walking" but I won't share it with you!

I do love my boots. They are comfortable and have seen me through quite a lot of miles. In fact, I'll be thinking about purchasing a new pair before long.

A long time ago, I went to visit the Altberg Factory in Richmond, North Yorkshire, to buy my first Altberg boots. They have a tiny showroom. Your feet are measured every which way and you must wear the socks you want to wear for walking. In my case that is a thin liner under a thick sock.

A pair of boots appears. They are your boots. No, you don't try on slightly larger or smaller sizes. The man was correct and since then I have renewed them with a phone call or an online order.

I wish I had shares. They make different styles for men and women and have five widths available. (They will even make a special last if you have funny feet - at a higher price of course.)

Can you tell that I'm a fan?

The holiday starts tomorrow evening. All I have to do now if pack (and prepare a few domestic things ready for the first carer).

I might worry about whether I'll manage the mountains...........