Happy Travels

THAT\’S SCOTLAND AND ERRAID WITH MULL IN THE BACKGROUND

www.erraid.com

Thursday 17 April, that’s 2 days from when I write this, I will be leaving this wonderful Isle. It’s a little like my initial venture out of Sydney lots of thoughts about how I will do, where I will end up, what I will see, whom I shall meet and how will I get to where I am going.

Having been settled here for a regular 11 ½ weeks it’s become like home. All together I have experienced 16 ½ weeks on Erraid and in one way it seems a very long time, in another, barely no time at all. The main thing for me has been fitting into a community, something new, and the adjustment and commitment and responsibility that goes with living so. Always a personal upheaval and I’d reckon there’s always compromises to be made. I have found it a delight, and I feel extremely fortunate and grateful that I’ve been given this opportunity. I mean, goodness only knows what type of people come to Erraid and the community welcomes all.

Weather

The weather for leaving – here’s hoping, and not sure of the forecast yet – I am expecting it to be fine and clear. Has been spring-like for a few days now which has enabled the young American guest mob to help with planting more potatoes, weeding the herb garden and potting out leeks and calendulas. So with this good warm weather and forays around the Island there are a few pinkish faces. Great walking weather and some have gone swimming. When I measured the temp of the water in Balfour Bay about 2 weeks ago, it registered at 13˚ amazingly as it felt very cold on my feet and I expected freezing! One young boy went in wearing his wet suit, all others either in their birthday or bathing suits. So back to the weather for Thursday. The tides for Thursday will be low in the morning which is when I expect to leave for Fionnphort to catch the bus to Craignure where I pick up the CalMac ferry to Oban. There I stay overnight and catch the Glasgow train at 8.11am on Friday 18. Which means that if the weather is foul and we can’t take out the boat to cross to Mull [I hope as I don\’t feel energetic enough to wheel my suitcase and backpack my backpack across the bogs], we could take the tractor and trailer and drive over the Bay as there’ll be not much water. However, I expect it to be a straight sailing from the pier.

Daily Schedule

Wondering what else to tell you. The daily schedule over the week – I have 3 full working days, 2 free, and 2 half working days which is more time off than the residents who seem to work 7 days per week. Maybe I told you this before. Working day begins with a 9.15a resident and guest meeting and tuning in, work whatever may be on offer starts about 9.50-10am, we then have a tea break about 11.15a and prepared lunch at 12.30pm. The afternoon working session begins at 2pm, another tea break 3.15\’ish and dinner at 6pm with meditation at 5p and singing 5.30pm. The free days which are generally Wednesday and Sunday dinner only is prepared, the cottages being supplied with kitchens and food to make our lunch and/or breakfasts. The two half working days – well, Friday morning is cottage cleaning, the arvo is work and Saturday morning is community cleaning. This includes the sanctuary, dining, kitchen, pantry, scullery, dairy room and general meeting room. Saturday arvo I do gardening etc or whatever is required and Sunday is day off. Wednesday the guests are offered a trip to Iona, the next and bigger Island to here and also off Mull. So they get boated across to Mull, driven to Fionnphort to catch the ferry to Iona and return the same way about 4pm. This is weather permitting of course.

I am staying in the cottage today for a change even though it is a work day and getting my matters and the cottage into order and consequently not contributing to the sheep round-up. But what a day for it. Sun – the day is gloriously blue, just like the Canberra skies in winter, and there is a slight wind chill factor as there\’s snow on the mountains on Mull just over the way. And I believe that Spring has sprung whereas we, Australia, have gone into autumn. Anyhow, Australian autumn weather on the east coast is always good sunny days needing a cardi or a light jumper and at night much heavier wear. In Canberra and the southern states probably a lot heavier clothing though, maybe?

Boutique Shopping

Whilst visiting or living on Erraid, one can go shopping at the \’boutique\’, a large chest of drawers in cottage #4. I have been able to find sox, beanies, gloves, jumpers, shirts, and trousers, even wellington boots and wet weather jackets, for use here and am presently washing and returning them back to the boutique. Also giving a few shirts etc that I have purchased along the way – my aim being to keep the weight of my luggage back to what it was on leaving Australia. So all the papers etc I collect or want to keep I mail home and the extra clothing I can leave here. The boutique – a very good system me thinks.

Daily Work

Yesterday I potted out leek plants from their tiny seed tray into a larger container. This was done in a greenhouse and consequently I was able to strip off about 3 layers of clothing – such freedom! The other day I potted calendulas and previous to that onions.

Away for now and shall be back when I can and maybe before I leave the Island as after that, it\’s finding inet cafes along the way.

APRIL

The first few days of April has brought spring weather, still more and new snow on top of Ben More on Mull, where else? and hail and winds. It is so delightful on those spring days the sun warm enough to colour one’s skin, the wind so light that it is comfortable without a warm hat on, and when there is a wind, sometimes cool enough to make my face ache. But that introduces spring I believe.

STAFFA

Now – what a magnificent Isle that is.

http://www.fingals-cave-staffa.co.uk/staffa.asp      http://www.scotland-inverness.co.uk/staffa.htm

I took the opportunity last Wednesday to catch the boat from Fionnphort taking us about an hour to Staffa Island. The day was great, I was extremely fortunate in that the sea was flat with just a little rolling past Mull and there was little wind. But on Staffa we only get about an hour to see the highpoint of the Island and then walk around the rocks to Fingal’s Cave. This is what I came to Staffa to see – the Island has a unique stone form and tides and weather over thousands of years has created a cave into which small boats can float and then back out and looks as if it is lined with sort-of organ pipes with the green water lapping the hexagonal shaped rocks. It is said that Mendelssohn on his arrival there heard an orchestra in the wave and water noise in the cave. I had to contend with tourist chatter and camera clatter. The only disappointment with this trip was the limited time on the Island. It certainly on a clear still day warrants a couple of hours to wander over the top (it is all cliff faces), sit and contemplate, bird watch, lie on the long soft grasses and spend silent listening time in Fingal’s Cave. There are the ruins of a stone hut that no one seems to know what it was for, could be a bothy, but I have read that there were sheep grazed there at some time. The locals over hundreds of year would come to collect Puffin eggs and catch the birds to eat. The puffins live on the ocean for most of the year and come into Staffa to nest and breed and when the chicks are sufficiently able, return to sea.