Told my co-cooks at Catching Lives about the plan to climb Kili. All 3 very encouraging, especially Paula (a nun) who reckons I have the determination necessary. She actually knew which continent Kili is in, (unlike me and most of friends) having spent time teaching sewing to African tribe women in the past. She sewed prayer shawls with them, incorporating pictures depicting their lives. The women live in very close proximity and the idea is that if you want a bit of peace and quiet, you put on your shawl. That is a sign to the others to give you a bit of space.
Talking in the kitchen about nights on Kili got us talking about bed and bedroom temperatures. Most of us said we liked a cool bedroom, but a cosy bed. Paula, however, said she liked a cold bed. Maureen, looking askance at Paula, said “oh that’ll be your sack cloth and ashes bit, then”. Paula was very quick to reassure us that she doesn’t do sack cloth and ashes. We all fell about laughing about the bizarreness of the conversation.
Maureen lives in the one very high block of flats in Herne Bay. She says I should come over to her place to practice for altitude, by climbing up her stairs. It probably is about as high as I am likely to get in East Kent!