Perfect Companion.
Reading of R.P.’s walking adventures across Finland, Lapland, Sweden, and Norway. It is beautifully written, funny and touching. His walking accompanied by Carla (an American girl he meets by chance) is the last part of the book, but the best, I think. It describes in a very reserved English way what I take to be a great and enduring love.Its tone reminds me of Michael Palin, but the writing is much better, although I rate Michael’s writing highly.
“Carla was a perfect travelling companion. She was inexhaustibly good-humoured, and never, even in the most trying circumstances, displayed the slightest irritation. She was delightful to look at, interesting to talk to, an ingenious contriver, an admirable cook and a skilled performer on the flute. We had discussed seriously, along the Syvajarvi trail, whether, in view of our total compatibility of temperaments, it was our unavoidable duty to marry each other, and had decided, for one reason or another, that it was not. From then on, as before, we travelled in a condition of infinite harmony and mutual aid. P.222.”
“So we parted, as suddenly as we had met. I met Carla on the boat up the Great Water from Saltoluokta, as it docked at Sjofallet. Within a couple of hours, we set off up the trail from Vakkotavare together. Since then we had been together for six weeks and a day, night and day, except for five nights spent in youth hostels. During that time we had not exchanged one unkind or impatient word. Such things are rare. Perhaps our greatest stroke of serendipity was at the beginning, when we met each other.p.255”
“I made this journey in my fiftieth year, being still-and even after it-capable of reasonable activity, though essentially frail; for which good fortune I humbly thank any deity or other supernatural power who may be listening.p.256.” Journey In Lapland. Chapman and Hall.1965.
I have arranged to meet Richard at his home in London in mid-October. If there are any questions people want me to ask please PM me.
Apologies for the lack of correct accents on the Swedish/Finnish place names.
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