Why would I be tired after a twelve mile* hike?
Gail seemed to think I might be, but between you and me, that probably says more about how her was sixty-four year old legs were feeling by the end of our walk on Saturday.
I, of course, was still pretty sprightly after a glorious gallop around the hills near Ballater in stunning spring sunshine.
We started in the woods at Milton of Tullich, where the birch trees have not quite come into leaf.
A couple of miles on, we were out into open country.
There are just a few signs of human civilisation in this part of the world.
Gail was awestruck by the magnificent panorama of snow-capped Aberdeenshire hills, whereas I focused on the near at paw.
Then it was back down to the river valley and a patchwork of trees and sheep-grazed fields, with Lochnagar glimmering in the distance.
Finally, we returned to civilization, and Gail enjoyed a cup of tea and a scone on the terrace of a café in Ballater. We could have gone inside but three disputatious Lhasa Apsos had got there ahead of us and, disappointingly, Gail thought it would be "more relaxing" to stay away from the canine mayhem.
*Gail says: To be accurate, I walked twelve miles; Nobby, with his frequent side trips into the undergrowth, probably covered more than twenty. My friend Henry and I did a similar version of this walk with Bertie back in 2019, as reported here.
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| Gail and Nobby's hike, 15 April 2023 |
