“There is our culprit!” My father sighs as I step into our future breakfast room. The oldest and most experienced handyman of the three shakes his head in dismay. Finishing the bar they put together in less than two days took more work than they had anticipated. “Why the hell did you want the blade to be cut at an angle?”, the second continues. I shrug. “Because it looks nice, doesn’t it?”, I respond lightheartedly. Someone sighs. I hear the last one snorting. I decide to get out. I know when I’m not wanted. And besides, my clothes stick to my skin because I am sweating profoundly. It’s time to take a shower.
As I take off my shirt, I glance at my phone. I have about two weeks left before I have to be back in Switzerland. Suzanne is already there and Marc is leaving in a week. In the short time that we have left, we therefore try to make ourselves as useful as possible. That means that our father, Marc and Noëlle are busy renovating while my mother and I explore the area. With the help of Wikiloc, an app that allows users to share walking routes with each other, we record our footsteps. That is, if I don’t accidentally forget to press the record button, forcing me to walk the five-hour route through seven of the eight villages (and back) again in the future.
Is that bad? I do not think so. And if I am to believe the guys, it’s certainly no worse than finishing slanted bar tops. Just so you know.
When I take my phone out of my bag when I leave our house the next morning, my mother warns me. “Did you turn on the app this time?” I nod. Because she has already hiked the route to La Forada twice before, I am following her. Ten minutes later, when her app starts beeping in Benitaia because we’re deviating from the route, she stops. “We’re going the wrong way”, she shouts, as she starts to turn around and walk back. “Goddamn it”, I mumble as I stop as well. If we go back now, all hikers who follow our route in the future will do the same. “Will we get there if we just keep walking straight ahead?”, I ask my mother. “I think so”, she replies while looking at the map. “Then we’d better continue”, I decide resolutely. My mother starts to laugh. She is right. I’m just as crazy a perfectionist as our dynamic trio. Because while they are probably still studying the imperfections of the bar top with a magnifying glass, I secretly decide to repeat and record this route again in the future. Just so you know.