Back where it all began ...

I've had a lovely day. Exhausting, and far too long, but lovely. For a start the weather was extraordinarily beautiful - the pale blue, impeccable sky of a Scottish spring day, the air mild but by no means hot, the sea shining with tiny waves - and we were having an afternoon in which I wasn't called upon to do anything, and to do nothing in a favourite place. What more could I want?

It came about because our choir is giving a concert in the UK's (if not Europe's) smallest cathedral, The Cathedral of The Isles on the island of Cumbrae just down the Firth of Clyde from where we are but necessitating two ferry rides to get there. Himself will be accompanying us on the Bösendorfer grand piano that is in the cathedral, and he wanted to re-acquaint himself with the instrument. As some long-term followers of this journal may know, it was in the Cathedral that I was introduced to religion in a way that caught my attention and my belief, and it was there that I was confirmed 50 years ago this September, so I was happy to go along for the ride. 

As I had my usual shopping to do before breakfast, it was midday before we got away, arriving in Largs just as the 1.15 ferry to the island pulled out. This left us half an hour to eat delicious bacon rolls (with tomato sauce!) and an espresso before the next ferry, which saved time later and hit the spot beautifully. We met our old friend Alastair, the organist and Lay Chaplain whom we've known since university, at the cathedral, and he and I sat in the sun and blethered while Himself practised. (We discovered him talking to two visitors some time later...) 

Sadly the diocese has had to take the chance to rent out one of the two residential colleges to the firm building the flood protection in the town of Millport, which means there are no places for visitors or retreatants to stay there but eases the financial burden for a year while they make up their minds what to do with the establishment. You can read a brief history here, but for me there are so many memories and people associated with my times staying there that the thought of its not being available is unbearable. I drifted about the sunlit grounds taking photos of views I've taken so many times before, and then the three of us went to the pub and had (soft)drinks before we drove home. (There was nowhere else open by this time for tea or whatever).

Home in sensible time to make dinner, we decided instead that a walk round the West Bay was needed after sitting so much, so dinner was insanely late and now even more so - I've just heard one o'clock strike. Blip shows Himself and Alastair talking music (or pianos, or choir logistics) in a corner of the nave.