It was a perfect summer night. The air was warmed by the ground giving up the day's heat. Only a few clouds obscured the stars. And there was Maria.

We had made our way up the trail, through the forest and past the waterfalls. we had stopped to bathe in the streams, to escape from the noonday sun. We had finally arrived at the plateau, at the campsite where we would spend the night.

We had chosen a sheltered spot, in the lee of some ancient boulder. If you looked in the right direction you could see down the valley,. through the trees to the town at the head of the trail. The breeze that rose up out of the valley brought with it the scents of leaves and sap and flowers.

We were alone.

We ditched our packs and pitched our tent. Then we set about making our preparations for the evening. I went off to gather firewood and to dig a latrine, while Maria made a hearth and lit the stove for the evening meal. By the time I came back, the air around the camp was filled with the savoury aroma of beans and bacon.

"You always were the domestic one," I said to Maria, and put down my load.

"Someone has to be," Maria replied in a deadpan.

Then we laughed.

We sat together, side-by-side, watching the sun set and the twilight gather. We made some small talk, but not for long. There wasn't much to say. Finally, night fell and the moon rose.

"Time for bed, I said. "We want to be ready for the hike back."

Maria looked towards the tent. "So - what's the sleeping arrangements for tonight?"

I shrugged. "It's a fine night. I think I'll sleep outdoors, under the stars. What about you?"

Maria glanced up, her face ruddy in the light of the fire. "I think I'll join you."

We took out our sleeping mats and laid them on the ground. Then we put our open sleeping bags on top of them, to act as blankets. There was no need for us to zip them up as the night was warm.

I excused myself and stumbled through the darkness. By the time I came back, Maria was lying under her sleeping bag, gazing at the guttering fire. "I'm back," I said.

Maria turned around and grinned at me. She fumbled under her bedding and pulled out a pair of shorts - the pair she had worn all the way up the trail - and threw them at me. "So I see." She lifted the edge of her sleeping bag in invitation.

It was a perfect summer night.