a little grouchy today

combine a poor night's sleep with a difficult walk today and there was a little tension in team morrison today.
opinions varied on the trail today about the walk. the older folks found the going very difficult. we were mostly walking a steep downward slope that was slippery shale, muddy with, at times, rivulets running right down the centre of the track. very difficult walking.
an older french lady who we have been crossing paths with for the last week said the downhill was tough on her hips and knees (both of which need replacing next year). another older lady fell in front of juan today so there was a bit of roadside care rendered there today. another older lady we spoke to considered that walk dangerous and she also fell today
i was very unhappy as the constant uneven surface was really aggravating my ankle which was almost better
we were talking about our day after we arrived atthe albergue and i wonderd if today could be yet considerd the perfect day because at least we got the weather right and we weren't peeling off layers or hastily covering up as on other days. no. the grouchiness spoiled our time in what was really spectacular scenery. we walked over the montes de leon. there was snow on the peaks, small villages nestled along narrow tracks winding through the valleys, the blossoms are starting to show and the sun was shining all day.
we asked a young italian walker what would make the perfect day for him and what did he think of the day. he said very thoughtfully that he thought today was perfect because, despite the difficulty of the walk, he was in beautiful surroundings. he also left a stone and a photo of his girlfriend at a cross along the way . he has been thinking about his future with her so he spent the day drifting along in romantic thoughts of the wonderful life he is looking forward to with her and he had a perfect day.
he did add, however, that had she been there the day would not have been so perfect because she is very lazy and would have been complaining all day. he said that in italy there is a saying that every man has his cross to bear and that cross is his wife so that does lend a rather practical application to romantic love.
goodnight