July 4, 2009

A leisurely start, and then off to the ferry to Iona. Barry brought me to the ferry in good time for the 10:30 sailing. I wasn’t expected at the Abbey until after the 2:25 ferry, so I left my suitcase in the designated shed and set off to explore. I walked along the road, looking more closely at the rock because of what Barry had told me. It was intriguing. There is a difference that is visible – if you know to look.

The first dramatic difference that I noticed on my own is that Iona is fenced. There sheep grazing everywhere, just as there on Mull, but whereas in Mull you encounter sheep on the road, on the roadsides and in the fields, on Iona the sheep are all behind fences.

There are also little stands at the end of many farm laneways with Iona marble for sale. You can chose from a variety of shapes and sizes, and prices, when converted start at just under $1 and range upward to less than $5. Just what I need – rocks for my luggage!

I wandered to the end of the paved road and found myself at the West End Common Grazing – with a gate and a sign asking that the gate be kept closed. I wandered in - but there did not appear to be a clear path leading onward, except down to the beach. (I had hoped to find a circular route so that I could keep going but no such luck!)

It was an absolutely gorgeous day – a short sleeve day as my friend who lived her some time ago would call it.
I meandered back and had time for a leisurely lunch before the expected ferry arrived, had already retrieved my luggage and identified the Iona van and transferred my case so that I didn’t have to do the 10 minute walk uphill dragging my case behind me.

We were welcomed to the Abbey with cups of tea and coffee, then shown to our rooms (bunk beds for 2, none of this dormitory of 4 or 5 people in a room – it seems that’s at the MacLeod Centre). Then we were free to explore until 6:30 when we could gather for supper. The meal was a little later than normal because a fairly large group was arriving on the second afternoon ferry that had connections from Glasgow and points beyond. (Not all of the ferries from Oban are met with buses that travel to Fionnphort and connect to the Iona sailings.)

We used the afternoon to explore the Abbey (the residential part is connected to the Abbey itself and is like a rabbit warren.) And the grounds of the Abbey and the area around it. Ann Marie and I walked to the North Beach, a place where the light is gorgeous and so is the scenery. We wandered the beach, waded a bit – that water is very, very cold!!!!! – gathered some shells and some small stones (free!) And then headed back. During our explorations, the skies clouded over, and it rained, but we were still in full sunshine and so saw the most gorgeous rainbow, joined shortly later by a second, paler, second bow. Then the rain stopped and we enjoyed the sunshine once again. That’s the weather on Mull and the weather on Iona – sunny, cloudy, rainy, lovely – and little predicting of what will follow next.

At 9:00 we gathered for a brief service in the Abbey church, followed by tea, coffee and cookies (biscuits to the Brits) and conversation.

Breakfast is at 8:15, rising bell is run g at 7:45 .... and unless you’re an Otter, you simply have to be there for breakfast at 8:15. The Otters set up for breakfast and are the servers at the breakfast tables. I’m a Puffin. We have lunch duty, and a few others besides. Sunday is the day for assigning tasks. I’m sure I’m up for a week of cleaning toilets – whatever job you get the first full day here, is the job you have until you leave!

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 10:14-13:8