To Luing...

Music of the Day
The Violet Archers – End of Part One
Martin Tielli – Operation Infinite Joy
Ethan Iverson – Construction Zone
Ethan Iverson – DeConstruction Zone
Various – Hit Singles
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Deeperdown
Brian Eno – Clean OST

Today we’re off up north to visit our friend Birgit on the island of Luing (http://www.isleofluing.co.uk/)....

I once lived in a little village (Felsberg) near the city of Kassel in Germany....

I was a Foreign Language Assistant at the local school....

Birgit, then aged 14, was in one of the classes I took....

I got to know her family through the parent teacher association and we have remained friends ever since....

We will see her today for the first time in over two years....

Birgit has a shop in Oban (Whitmore & Hamilton) selling crafts and woolens and is working today so there’s no big rush for us to get there.....

After a leisurely breakfast of croissants and coffee, we set off around 10:45 for the drive up through some of the most beautiful countryside in Scotland. It’s pouring with rain....

By the time we’re leaving Callander however, the rain ceases and the weather starts to brighten....

We’re heading for the Balachulish Hotel, scene of the great CBQ becoming non-vegetarian last October and, after a drive through the wonderful Glencoe, we arrive around 1:15 for lunch....

Very tasty it is too...

We sit at the window, taking in the view...



Then it’s back on the road and we tootle down to Oban, never breaching 35 miles per hour....

We’re at Birgit’s shop by 4pm....

Top quality merchandise and we buy a few things....

At 5 we head for Tesco for few messages then drive down to the ferry and over to the island – we leave our car on the mainland as the Sunday ferry is passenger only...

At Birgit’s house we meet her new partner, Norrie, for the first time, although we’ve stayed in his cottage before and will do so again tonight....

While Birgit prepares dinner we take a walk along the beach with Norrie and he shows us two orphaned lambs who live nearby and where steps to the sea and the one track road were washed away in storms a year or so ago....

The weather is now bright and sunny...



Back at the cottage, Birgit has prepared a wonderful meal and we sit round the table eating, drinking and chatting until the wee small hours....



I have the foresight (thanks to a reminder from my Executive Producer, Anne) to switch from quaffing tasty red wine, to sipping sparkling mineral water since I’m driving back home tomorrow.....

A slow, relaxing day...



Highlight of the Day : A Visit to Luing