The 2016 Challenge, day 6: Picking up the Pieces (6)

The path eventually veered away from the river, and then we were soon at the road (the B846). We turned right and crossed General Wade's bridge into Aberfeldy (it was, unfortunately, not practical to get a photo of this). We found a pub, where Laura insisted on buying me a pint and some crisps (and if memory serves me correctly I may than have bought a second pint, and something for her, and some more crisps ... ) and then we parted. Laura pressed on to Grandtully, and I went shopping.

At least, that was the idea. But Aberfeldy seemed to be shut. And what a depressing little town centre it is, too, when the rain starts falling and nowhere seems to be open. There was nowhere that could do me a new watch strap anyway (the nearest that anyone was confident I would be able to get one was Perth!!!). There was a chemist's shop, though. They weren't able to sell me a new camera pouch (Perth again ... or possibly Pitlochry), but they WERE able to sell me some AA batteries ... provided I bought a pack of 8!!!

I wasn't keen on having 6 spare batteries adding to my pack weight; but I did need two for my GPS, so I bought a pack of 8 (it was really a 6-pack with two free extra batteries ... WHICH I DID NOT WANT!!!!!). I left the chemist's shop and took one last look around the forlorn little town centre when the heavens opened, and I ducked into a little curio and collectables shop to take shelter. Needing to justify my presence, I made a beeline for a tub of foreign coins which they were selling at 5 for £1. I started sorting through them, and they came and offered me a tray so I could turn them out and have a good old rifle through them. Most of it was utter dross, as I had expected ... but to my surprise, hidden away in there were a few pieces that I might quite like to have as additions to my world coin collection. So I started being a bit more methodical about this ... and by the time I was ready to step out of the shop again I had identified 95 coins that I wanted to buy from him. He drove a hard bargain, but I managed to talk him down to £18. He put them in a bag for me, and I set off back to Fortingall ... carrying about a kilo of metal which I hadn't had with me when I set out that morning, as well as 8 batteries to replace the two in my GPS unit!