To travel is to live (anon)

And so dear listener, as you read this it is possible that I am returning from, or have returned from, a long weekend in Oban. It’s been fun and tiring and my head is clearer and I have slept well. I have come to some decisions, which I will mull over (a little Inner Hebridean joke there) but I never actually made it over to that island. 🙂

What I did do was………well let’s not rush into all my adventures just yet.

Let’s start with a brief encounter in Queen Street Station. It’s one of those moments, when someone you haven’t seen for ten years, walks past you and says, ‘Hi John’ and you say, ‘Hi Kerry’ and neither of you thinks it strange at all – like you meet in that way every day. Yes. A former student. 🙂

And I’m convinced that Agent Pedro, as the Celtic fans now call the new Rangers manager, walked past me on the Esplanade at Oban. He is as entitled to his privacy and thoughts as am I.

And then Kenny the Shed Pimp turned up on Saturday but he and his family had come more or less for the train journey which has magnificent scenery. But then again I like Dumbarton from the train. 🙂

But what is there not to like about a journey that takes in place names such as Loch Awe, the Falls of Cruachan and Ardlui and basically travels up the side of Loch Lomond before cutting across country. And whilst most people were making the same journey as me from Glasgow, for some others who live and work locally, then their daily journey is on the beautiful Connal into Oban bit – almost as beautiful as the section close to the start of the journey between Maryhill and Kelvindale (River Clyde and canal). Not long after the train goes past Summerston and the ASDA. 😀

And there was a strange moment on the train which is symptomatic of something but not sure what. There was a young couple on the train with toddler and baby and they were easily befriended by a slightly older couple (who once upon a time I might have described as ‘elderly’) and they shared biscuits and so on.

And as we got nearer to Oban, the slightly older lady asked if she might take a picture of the toddler. ‘Just for memories. Nothing else’, she reassured the younger mum……….

And finally, the B & B. It’s good and I think worth the money for what I’m paying in the middle of July. One small hiccup and it was mentioned in the exchange of mails, you can only check in between 3 and 7 in the afternoon and whilst that is perfectly understandable, when your train gets in at quarter to two it was a bit of a long wait but other that it is fine. 🙂

And the view from my bedroom (at the back) is trees but the view from the dining room in the morning is brilliant.

Oh, and I have to put in my breakfast order the night before. The last time I had to do that was in the ten days I was in hospital post Cold Turkey.

Cheerie (as they say in Wishie), not wearing either badge as I don’t want to lose them but still keeping it simple

Iaint850, and I’ve now just run out of words. Maybe more next week but I’ve done a lot of walking and spent some time at sea.

So, as many of you know, I am quietly (?) happy in my recoveries but every so often something happens which I’m happy to describe as the latest final sign of complete recovery and it happened within the last few weeks.

I was asked (for a fee) to renew my Driving Licence and I was promised that they would use my Passport photo which is about five years old. After a wee hiccup with the form – it took me a wee while to realise that what was causing the asterixed field to get so annoyed was that I very rarely use my middle name these days – I sent it off online.

And the joy, oh the unbridled (?) joy when I got it back. The previous photo had been taken, I think, at the height of the depths of my bad time. Where a bloated and jaundiced and shorthaired figure had previously looked out at me (and anyone else, officer, who needed to look at it) there is now a much leaner (but a bit to go yet) face looking out.

Indeed the haircut is very similar to my recent one and which I realise is perhaps a statement of intent for the future as, indeed, is this wee trip to Oban. 🙂

You can do a lot of thinking watching the boats coming and going.

This is/these are the Shires,