First days on Iona

After 3 ferry trips I have made it to the end of the world!  I'm sure if I were to swim out a bit I'd fall off the edge :)


Ferry #1: Ardgour-Corran



Ferry #2: Lochaline-Fishnish



Ferry #3: Fionnphort-Iona





So, this is 'home' for the next 8 weeks!

I'm not actually living at the abbey, but work and eat here every day.  Volunteers stay at the Macleod Centre 2 mins up the road.  The island itself is only 5kms long, with a population of 125 (not including the community).  There is the Abbey of course, the Macleod Centre, Gift shops, small supermarket and a few other buildings.  There are also heaps of historical sites and beautiful beaches to explore.  I haven't had much of a chance to get out and take photos yet though, because the weather has been horrible!  The day I arrived was good, but since then it's been rain, wind and no power one morning too.  I've got 8 weeks here so I'm sure there will be photo taking opportunities soon :) 

Daily life at the moment involves lots of washing dishes, making beds, doing laundry and scrubbing toilets.  I work 7.5 hrs a day, 5.5 days a week....Tuesday will be my first day off...yay!

Here are some highlights so far:

• The Abbey - there is something special about coming to work each day in such an old and beautiful place.  I love going past the tourists into the entrance that says "residents only"!  Hehe...
• People - I've met some lovely people so far.  The team I work with are great and we have heaps of fun.  There is always someone to talk to, but also enough space to be alone if I want.

Challenges so far:

• Sleep - A lady in my room has taken snoring to a whole new level.  It is epic.  I cannot understand how so much noise can come from one person!  Alas, even with earplugs a good night's sleep is a faint memory :(
• The community here has a strong focus on justice and peace, which in itself is a good thing.  Aside from that the community is quite liberal, so it's a good challenge for me to take on what is good, and also hold on to what I know is right.   

So, enough writing...time for some photos of the journey to Iona.  Have a lovely week.  God bless! :)

More than chocolate and cheese :)

Ok, so I stole that title but it's very appropriate.  There is lots more to Switzerland than chocolate and cheese!  This was my first trip to continental Europe (if you don't count the european part of Kazakhstan and Istanbul airport!) and I'm very eager to get back and see more!  Above all though, this trip was about catching up with some beautiful friends whom I haven't seen in years:



...and their cutie-pie daughters





A very special couple....

I love it that "goodbye" these days is more like "see you later".  Being able to stay in touch with friends is such a blessing.  I'm sure it would have been a wonderful time no matter where we were, but wow what a country! 

I got a good flight from Aberdeen so took the train there on Thurs night and got up at 3:15am to catch the early flight through Amsterdam to Zurich.  I don't have a good track record with early flights but managed it this time!  My friends met me there and we spent the first night in Rapperswil before heading to the mountains for two nights, then back to Zurich for the last night.  Here are some photos of what we got up to:

Relaxing.... :)  Having friends who organise everything makes for a wonderfully stress-free holiday...thank you!!!


Weeeee!!! I'm flying!!!



Here comes the sun...da da da da.....

Beautiful scenery!! Every building and landscape looks like it belongs on a jigsaw puzzle :)

Stunning castle..can't remember the name!

Old buildings in Scoul

Zurich

Scenery on the way to the mountains

Yummy Swiss food.  I think I'll go to Switzerland for breakfast...and lunch...and dinner

Masters of the BBQ




Beautiful fresh fruit and yummy cake :)














Raclette!!!

Never mind the expression...this
carrot cake is really good!


















Mountains to climb.  There was still some snow on the ground...special!




That's Italy on the left, Switzerland on
the right...does that count as "going" to
Italy I wonder?



On the way up....





At the top!

And so, having just arrived back in Inverness on Tuesday I'm already getting ready for the next adventure. This Wednesday I'm of to the Isle of Iona to work with the Iona Community as a volunteer for 8 weeks.  It's soon summer holidays, so no chance of teaching work for a while!  I will make it back to Inverness in time for start of the new term. I hope you have a wonderful week.  Let me know how things are going in your part of the world! God bless :)

Long summery days :)

For once,  I feel justified in boasting about the weather!  23 degrees yesterday, 21 today...not dark until 11pm, light again at 4am (ok, that one is a bit annoying...6am would be a bit more reasonable).  Tucking a blanket around the window before going to bed is becoming a normal thing to do now :)  Before I get too caught up in summery-ness, here are some lovely pics of the cherry blossoms outside the church.  They were there such a short time but so beautiful!



Beautiful Blossoms!

Hilton Parish Church









The Lighthouse Cafe







So, what has been happening I hear you say? Well since you asked, it's been a pretty full-on two weeks.  I've been teaching 3 days a week for the last two weeks at Kilchuimen Primary, and will do again this week.  It's so good to have some continuity and really get to know the kids and school. 
It takes about 45mins to get there, but since the drive is along the edge of Loch Ness I'm not complaining! For those of you who are teacherly, I just have to put this out there: Class teachers in Scotland don't do playground duty! All duties (including before and after school and eating supervision) are done by senior staff and classroom assistants...yep, 'lunch hour' actually means a full hour to have lunch!!!!

So far, the schools I've taught at have been great. Once you are at a school for more than 5 days, the pay goes up and you are then expected to take on curriculum planning and have greater involvement in organising resources etc.  Having a longer stint at Kilchuimen has been a really good opportunity to get my head around how things work here.  I've been teaching a class of 14 P45 (gr 3/4) students who are all so polite and lovely....yay! 

Well, enough about school stuff...this weekend has been all about relaxation and enjoying the beautiful sunshine!  On Friday I'm off to Switzerland for 5 days to visit some lovely swiss friends, so will write about that next post!  Have a wonderful week and make sure to keep me up to date on what's happening for you :)


Today's adventure: Horseriding with my
lovely housemate Bregtje!

 


My latest cute thing - Heilan Coo, and my latest
hobby - crochet!











My trusty companion Moss and I in
Loch Ness (obviously not a deep part...wouldn't
want to get eaten by Nessie)
What an experience!

And finally, on a beautiful sunny day - my favourite place
for relaxing: the lovely/weird window in my room.
(Thank you Claire for the paper garland!)





Skye adventures

Hello there, I hope all is well in your part of the world.  Here it is raining and windy but otherwise a lovely Sunday afternoon.  I can't believe how fast time is passing....I've been here 3 months now!  I'm enjoying the rhythm that life has at the moment, but know that there are more changes just around the corner.  In a month I will move to the Isle of Iona, where I will be spending the summer break, before returning to Inverness in August.  More on that later! 

Last weekend there was a bank holiday on Monday so I decided to take a long weekend on Skye.  I'm still learning the art of relaxation, and finding the motivation to take solo holidays can at times be difficult but this was definitely worth it.  In short, it was absolutely amazing!  Skye is kind of known for changeable weather..I've heard some people who have visited and seen nothing but mist.  But for me, I feel I got to see the island at it's best....three days of beautiful sunshine! 

View from Dun Flodigarry hostel

Although it's connected by bridge now, the island itself has a very different feel from the mainland.  In distance it doesn't take long to drive around, but the amount of times the scenery changes is crazy. 

There are spectacular beaches with turquoise water.....


Sandy Beach at Sleat Point



A cafe I spotted on the hr long walk
to Sleat Point 

....huge jagged hills with hidden lochs...




View of the Cuillins from "Misty Isle" boat on the way to Loch Coruisk



At Loch Coruisk

....brilliant hill walking with even more brilliant views....



View on the way up to Old Man of Storr (Isle of Raasay in the middle,
 Scottish mainland in the background)



At the top!












...beautiful buildings...





Dunvegan Castle




Portree Harbour

....and lots of not always road-aware sheep and cows.





Moo!



Baa!






  There are good main roads but also lots of single-track roads (a road that is the width of one car, but is for traffic travelling in both directions).  Actually, I decided I love driving on the single-track roads for a few reasons: Firstly, I had to travel slower because of possible oncoming traffic, which meant I could enjoy the scenery more.  Secondly, it is lovely when another driver is courteous and pulls over and lets me pass first, and when I pull over or reverse for them I get a wave and smile and feel that I've made a new friend!  All in all it makes driving a more pleasant experience :)  The pictures really don't do this place justice....so come and see for yourself!  Here are a few more favourite pics.  Have a lovely week :)