tired legs and the kindness of strangers

We left home at midday on Sunday 7th and arrived back around 7.30pm on Friday 12th.  During those 6 days, we walked - according to Anniemay’s fitbit - almost 40km.  We’re not great walkers like some on Blip; I walk more than Anniemay does, but a lap of the Common or a quick wander into the town for some shopping is about my limit.

Looking back it didn’t seem a lot, I guess, because there was so much to see each day.  We were constantly looking and ‘oohing’ and ‘aahing’ , to take much notice of what was happening to our bodies or our feet.  Anniemay did though.  

We were standing outside the entrance to Monet’s Garden, waiting to get in. It was clear that she had a problem and so took off one of her shoes, to reveal a bloody blister on her heel. It looked terrible.  

A woman left the queue and came over to us; she opened her handbag and offered Anniemay a handful of plasters.  “You want band-aid?” she said in halting English.  “Yes please” we said.  The kindness of strangers.

It’s thing like this that remind us, in these terrible and difficult times, that no matter what language we speak or nationality we happen to be, most human beings are kind and decent people.