Friday, August 04, 2017

A Week on Iona

Sunset from Dun I
 Life on Iona, as a part of the community, consists of a rhythm.  There’s a bell at 7:15 to wake you up but I was up long before then as the sun was up around 4 AM.  My assigned chores was to light the fire in the hearth in the dining room (as it was often cold and wet in the mornings), then help set the table for breakfast.  We ate at eight.  After the tables were cleared, we headed over to the Abbey for morning prayers, followed by chores.  I was back in the kitchen, chopping up vegetables and fruits for lunch and dinner.  Most meals were vegetarian and quite good.  Roasted cauliflower or root vegetables, hearty soups and such. They tried to use local produce.  After chores, there were group meetings. I was in a poetry group that was led by two British professors, both poets.  During the year, one taught English at her university and the other taught theology.  We met for an hour and a half to two hours. 
Abbey in the evening
Larger view of Abbey in Evening

The Nunnery on Iona
At 1 PM, there was lunch.  It was amazing to see what our cook had prepared with the chopped vegetables.  The afternoons were generally free.  One afternoon, I took a boat trip to the Isle of Straffa (it deserves its own post). One day, we took a long walk (maybe seven miles) around the island, stopping for contemplation and to learn about the island.  While I appreciated the history, I wish the guides were a little more prepared to also discuss geology and plant-life, as much of this was foreign to me.  On the day, a group of us had a very short swim in one of the bays.  It was cold, colder than a summer dip in Lake Superior between the United States and Canada, or Lake Baikal in Russia (Or maybe I’m just getting older).  Some afternoons I took a nap or read.

Chapel to left is a burial ground for islanders and kings

North End of Iona
At 4 PM, we’d gather for tea.  If it was rainy, as it often was, we’d take our tea by the hearth in the dining room, where we’d dry out and enjoy a “biscuit” (cookie for Americans) and some tea or coffee.  At six was dinner, followed by evening prayers in the chapel.  These services were special as the sun coming in from behind gave a warm light to the chapel (I posted a photo of the inside of the chapel a few weeks ago). Some nights were free, others there were events such as dancing in the town hall.  On the last evening, there was a talent show, with stories and songs from various parts of the world where we’d all come.  A couple of evenings, I’d take a walk down to one of the hotels or the bar for internet access and a drink of some of Scotland’s finest.  Afterwards, I’d walk, often up to the top of Dun I, the high point on the island (about 330 feet above sea level).  As it was late June, the sun was setting around 10:30 PM and it never really turned totally dark.  Several evenings, I sat on Dun I till nearly midnight and had no problem making it down in the twilight without a flashlight (or torch, as the British call it).  One night, it got dark enough and there was enough break in the clouds that I was able to see two stars.  It was after midnight!
Twilight, looking north 


That's me on the South End of Iona
It was a delightful and restful week.  
South end of Iona (notice golf course in sheep's pasture)

24 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. ... if U ever lived in a convent U would know that is not peaceful at all ... meouw ... Love, cat.

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  2. Sounds like a very relaxing stay!

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  3. sounds amazing and what besutiful place !

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  4. Excellent. I'm really glad you liked it.
    As to the flora and some of the fauna. The island is on the sweep of the North Atlantic Drift and so has a very benign climate like the one you hear me whining about. Where it rarely get too hot and never freezes. This means you can have plants that grow as far south as southern Morocco and from the high Himalayas/Andes and Rockies coexisting side by side. The extreme of this is the Burren landscape here in Ireland, Co Clare to be exact. Much of the African drops off the wings of migrating birds.

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  5. Lovely account of things, friend Sage ... Reminds me when this gypsy girl lived at the convent 1972 - 1982 in order to learn manners ... smiles ... Love, cat.

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  6. As I get older, I also enjoy learning about the flora while on trips. Guess you'll just have to look things up online.

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  7. Your photos are gorgeous and captivating! I will be 61 in October, and I find myself appreciating and enjoying the health benefits of nature and good food more and more each year. And I love my long walks in nature, too. Thank you so much for sharing.

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  8. Great photos! What a fascinating experience. Sounds like you had a serene week.

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  9. Sounds like a very peaceful visit, the pictures are wonderful, I like the ones of the Abbey and the Nunnery.

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  10. Your week on Iona sounds idyllic, Sage. It is a place that I would like to see ~ also the Isle of Straffe. I, too, often wish that guides knew more about the natural history of an area. When Terry and I were in Iceland, he found a guide group that focused on geology, and I had a fantastic day. Your pictures of Iona reminded me of Newfoundland: the barren rocky ground with hardy grasses and wildflowers, rainy weather, foggy patches, and scudding clouds. Just lovely! I'm working backwards to catch up! Take care, my friend!

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  11. It looks to be a rugged and beautiful place. Your photos are beautiful. Great narrative also.

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  12. Hi Sage - I imagine your week had a major effect on you ... it's a stunning place as you've shown us. So glad you took every opportunity you could to be out and about at the midnight hour, and in the early rays of that early sun ...

    I imagine you can catch up a little on the geology and plant life now you're home ... but it sounds like you had an enlightening time... cheers Hilary

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  13. Your photos are so pretty. It sounds like a fun, peaceful trip. I’d love to wander around there and look at the old buildings.

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  14. Wow, I am loving all these pictures. Sure seems like you had a good time.

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  15. The scenery, food, group sessions, prayers, walks... all sounds so wonderful!

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  16. What a magnificent place to visit and stunning photos too. Greetings.

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  17. That really foes sound like a restful week. And the photos are great. Such beautiful scenery.

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  18. Wonderful place, relaxing and energizing I bet! I'd get lots of exercise running around with my camera too!

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  19. Sounds like a very peaceful visit, and a fascinating experience.
    Your photographs are lovely.

    All the best Jan

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  20. I'm envious, that's just the type of place I would love to escape.

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  21. It sounds like a lovely, peaceful time.

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