Home is on the West Coast of Scotland. More specifically it is on the Isle of Tiree, which is the most westerly island of the Inner Hebrides. On Monday morning we boarded the MV Clansman for the crossing to the Mainland town of Oban.
Oban is a magnet for ferry enthusiasts, but more importantly it is the ferry terminal for ferries to the Inner Hebrides including the non-identical twin islands of Coll and Tiree. Our arrival time in Oban enabled us to make one or two purchases before catching the coach to Glasgow.
The coach passes several famous landmarks on its way to Glasgow, including the Falls of Lora at Connel, the Pass of Brander, Loch Awe, the Rest and Be Thankful, Loch Lomond and Inverary. Inverary Castle is the home of the Duke of Argyll. The town harbour is home to one of the few remaining Puffers’ aptly named the ‘Vital Spark’.
It is not just the landmarks, it is the stunning Highland landscape. The late afternoon and evening sun enhanced the mountains and glens. We lost count of the number of times we remarked on the bluebells and the rhododendrons. May appeared to us a perfect time to make the journey, such was the beauty of the scenery we were passing through.
The coach arrived in Glasgow just as the sunset cast its golden glow over the cityscape. However, our stay in the city was short lived. After a routine appointment at Gartnavel Hospital we caught the train to London, then on to Thame In Oxfordshire, where our daughter Fiona and her husband Steve live. The following day included appointments at the hairdresser and barber’s and an early appointment with our bed.
At the unearthly hour of 3:30am we left Thame for Southend Airport where we were flying from for Pula in Croatia. Our flight took off at 7:15 and took us across the English Channel and the snow covered Alps.
We wanted a holiday by the sea and we certainly have it. We have swapped the West Coast of Scotland for Pula, a seafront city on the tip of Croatia’s Istrian Peninsula in the Adriatic Sea.
Our first day included settling into our apartment for our week’s stay and an initial exploration of the city. Our apartment is close to the Roman Amphitheatre and just a short distance further on is the Old Town with its ‘Forum’.
FamilIarisation with our surroundings would be an appropriate word to describe our first day in Pula. Thankfully we have not gone from one extreme to another in terms of temperature. The sun is bright and It is warmer but not exhausting.
We ended our first day on this unfamiliar coast by watching the sun set over Pula’s sheltered harbour, before making our way past the amphitheatre to our home for the week.
