so, a bit of time on mull, a place i'd only been briefly to before and which, after this visit, i'll be back again very shortly. mostly i was on the road bike, though i did have both the x and the mtb. the x bike is good but being back on the road bike after so long was just sublime especially given some of the country i got to ride through. i was surprised by the size of the cliffs and, aside from iona, the lack of tourists. i felt really chilled out there and can't wait to go back. 
off back to sweden after that for family related shenanigans and my birthday. aside from much time spent on the boat and some really pretty successful fishing my abiding memory is when we first all got together, three generations of us (of which i realise now i was the second or third oldest!), of which really only the children are properly swedish (though there's quite a lot of 'proper' swedes would disagree i think). the kids, once they got used to us again, were great, teaching me how to count up to ten in swedish and showing off the fact they could sing songs in spanish and english.
coming home was difficult, esp as the university have decided to give me some hassle, but mainly because i feel as if i don't have the energy for another move, something i need to be thinking about. my head is, however, stuffed with stuff to write and make, and the garden, which has assumed an increased presence this year, is full of growing things.
4 comments:
I've only been to Mull once and didn't much like it but that could have been down to the miserable weather and the company I was keeping. Now Sweden I'd like to see more of. I went to Gothenburg a couple of years back but didn't get a chance to see much of the countryside.
after the western isles i don't believe in miserable weather any more! lol plus a decent travelling companion will make all the difference. i hooked up with a mate of mine and we based ourselves in tobermory - he's known me long enough to cope with the indignity of any balamory related excitement and we know one another for such a long time that we can sense each other's need for space.
sweden is very pleasant, very reminiscent of perthsire in parts! lots of lakes! i'm that t's brother has access to a boat so spent quite a lot of time around stockholm on the water. very sothing!
oh you are back, I'm so glad! :-) and Happy Birthday, even if belatedly! what is this with the university hassle? is it ok now?
oh, they're just letting me know it's up to them which hoops i have to jump through, though to an extent the constrictions they're putting on me have been imposed on them. i need to do a little writing and a lot of cut and pasting and re-editing for my last piece of work. instead of sitting otuside in the sun. ho hum!
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