A few funny stories

At Auberge de la Nova on day 2 we had someone with a strong French accent telling us what was available for dessert. We thought she said “dry cheese” or “lychees with cream”. 3 of us ordered lychees which turned out to be “white cheese with cream”.

In Courmayeur we went to the same restaurant both nights as the fixed price menu was excellent. There were about 6 choices for dessert and Jenny bravely tried the “beer and chocolate cake” on the second night. When it arrived it had no beer but a lot of pears in it! Again a problem with accents!

On the Amalfi coast John wanted Judy, Sue and me to sit on a rock for a photo. I said – OK we’ll be like 3 shags on a rock (for those who don’t know a shag is a type of sea bird). Then came Judy’s classic comment “I feel like a shag on a rock”.

While sitting in deck chairs admiring Mont Blanc at Refugio Bonatti, an English couple arrived and the woman said how glad she was to finally be there (she was wearing elastic bandages on both knees and was obviously in pain). Mean Graeme quickly told here that the refuge was full and she would have to walk on another 20k to the next refuge! They actually had a booking and we became good friends; her husband has Graeme’s same wicked sense of humour. We became even better friends when I gave her all my Voltarin tablets and her knee pain was cured overnight. The tablets lasted her to the end of TMB.

On day 2 I had just had a shower and washed my knickers, socks and T shirt (the daily routine). We were carrying the minimum of spare clothes (one spare pair of knickers and socks) so imagine my horror when I could not find my spare knickers in my pack, and the other pair were now wet. Then I remembered that to save space I had packed them in my spare shoes!