On Sunday, as we trekked through Pfelders, in the Passeier Valley, gaping in awe at sweeping vistas of Alpenrosen in bloom, I found myself veering towards the subject of kindness. It was the first time in my life that I was pursuing a somewhat strenuous outdoor activity with decent footgear.

I've gone hiking many times before, but usually, along the way, the soles of my shoes would fall apart, or, because my toes were strangled by consistent tightness, my nails would be miserable for days. My left big toenail still suffers the trauma of years of ill-fitted shoes.