As the ferry left and the resident staff waved us off , Phil wiped away a few tears. He's not sure he'll make it back again but we'll see. |
Monday, August 30, 2010
Iona - saying goodbye
Iona sights
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Iona Pilgrimage
The labyrinth at St Columba's Bay |
Most of the walk was fairly easy with some gentle climbs and weather favourable. |
Some of the going was a bit more diffilcult - sturdy boots were essential. |
This glam couple are waiting for the summer to begin |
At St Columba's bay where he was thought to have landed from Ireland in 563. He was making a fresh start and we were thinking about that too. |
The heather is in full bloom all over the highlands as well as Iona |
LOTS of bogs even on the high ground and not always possible to leap across them. Even our good walking boots weren't quite up to keeping our feet dry. |
At Iona
Phil had no trouble climbing up Dun I - the highest hill on Iona. The Abbey is in the background with Mull across the water |
From Dun I looking east across Mull. |
Chopping veges with my buddies from US, UK, Czech Rep, Germany, France. Some of us were just there for the week but others for longer - six weeks to 3 years |
Phil was going so fast with the hoover that he's just a blur |
Brodie to Iona
Leaving the colourful harbour area of Oban |
Getting to Iona is a bit of a chore but more so from Inverness. An early drive from Brodie Castle into Inverness, a taxi to the bus station ; a bus to Fort William; another bus to Oban; a ferry to the Isle of Mull; and hour bus ride across Mull then another ferry to Iona. Our connections weren't great so after leaving Brodie at 7am we finally arrived at Iona at 7 pm - a long day.
This lovely lighthouse is about half way between Oban and Mull |
So it was so nice to arrive at Iona at last with the abbey in view |
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
From Scotland
After 3 lovely warm sunny days, today is cool and damp hence we are in Inverness catching up on emails and soon to have a lunch at a 1 Michelin * restaurant.
We are staying in a beautiful little National Trust cottage in the grounds of Brodie Castle - 1/2 an hour along the coast. It is a beautiful area - fabulous coastline with golden sandy beaches and then inland to the Cairngorms - dramatic highlands.
Yesterday we took a steam train from Aviemore to Broomhill - the station called Glenbogle in Monarch of the Glen - we loved the scenery in that show so got to see it for ourselves yesterday. We finished the day with a tour and tasting at the Glenfiddich Distillery - one of Phil's favourite drams. All in all a good day.
Plenty to do here - later this week we'll take a boat along Loch Ness and do some more coastal walks. Then Saturday we take a bus to Oban, then a ferry to Mull then a bus across Mull then a ferry to Iona where we stay for the next week.
We are staying in a beautiful little National Trust cottage in the grounds of Brodie Castle - 1/2 an hour along the coast. It is a beautiful area - fabulous coastline with golden sandy beaches and then inland to the Cairngorms - dramatic highlands.
Yesterday we took a steam train from Aviemore to Broomhill - the station called Glenbogle in Monarch of the Glen - we loved the scenery in that show so got to see it for ourselves yesterday. We finished the day with a tour and tasting at the Glenfiddich Distillery - one of Phil's favourite drams. All in all a good day.
Plenty to do here - later this week we'll take a boat along Loch Ness and do some more coastal walks. Then Saturday we take a bus to Oban, then a ferry to Mull then a bus across Mull then a ferry to Iona where we stay for the next week.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Slow travel UK #3 - Yoxford Suffolk
Holy Trinity Church in Blythburgh near Yoxford is called the Cathedral of the Marshes
- a beautiful example of local stone and a fine ceiling - note the angels.
This speaks for itself - Wolsey and Pygot were protestants who refused to change their beliefs
during the reign of the Catholic Queen Mary 1
In contrast the magnificent cathedral in Ely dating from 673.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)