Casualties

Two items that had supported me during the entire journey were sadly lost in Tarifa.

The first, my trusty kilt pin. During the entire journey it had done a marvellous job of keeping the kilt in place, and my modesty intact, no matter how strong the wind. Alas, the winds of Tarifa are different beasts. In the march up the beach to the end of the journey I was ploughing head first into what seemed like a full on gale (pleasantly loaded with sand...), and around the time I arrived level with the first houses of the town I stopped for a breather and, glancing down, I realised the kilt pin was no longer there. It appears it had been blown clean off by the force of the wind. It's little wonder the place is such a mecca for windsurfers.

Clearly the lack of kilt pin made the rest of my day in windy Tarifa a little more interesting for some of the passers-by than it might have been otherwise.

The second casualty was the toe nail on the big toe on my left foot. You may remember there was a previous post showing said nail a very unhealthy colour, and being compared to its equivalent on the right foot, along with a question as to which one might fall off first. Well, those who guessed left, guessed right.

Rather amazingly, despite the damage it had sustained (in the first week!) it managed to stay put for the entire journey, but on Sunday, just as I dived into the ocean for a pre-departure swim, it decided it had completed its task, and took leave of me. There are photos, but in the interests of everyone I think it's best they stay firmly off the blog.