It was a busy summer. Not just the journey to Iona, but a series of overlapping deadlines, tasks, and stresses meant that finally getting away was a joy. It was also an opportunity to take a break from blogging and spend some more time reflecting on my trip. I spent close to 4 weeks back home in Canada, split between Nova Scotia and Toronto. While much of it was spent away from research thoughts (hiking, biking, gardening), Iona seems to entangle itself into whatever I’m doing, subconsciously or otherwise. Now that it is the end of week one back in Oxford, some time has opened up to offer some reflections on these entanglements.
The second waterfall you see sits at the base of River Denys Mountain. Biking there we crossed a river that runs through Big Marsh (one of the best places to get phone reception in the area). Cycling up ‘the Mountain’ was a great way to start my time back home with family. The St Margaret of Scotland church sits at the top of the mountain. The graveyard, monuments, and even guestbook all reveal the strong memory and connection ‘New Scotland’ wants to foster with the ‘Old’.
Later in my time back in Nova Scotia I returned to St Columba’s Falls near its Iona. The first waterfall you see above, I last visited when it had been a summer of very little rain and the full force of the falls was not visible. After this short hike we took a drive down to Iona itself, where we walked around the graveyard of St Columba’s church, wandered to the end of the pier, and let the dog have a quick swim in the Bras d’Or. The day finished with some fish and chips across Grand Narrows and looking across the strait at Iona.
An Eye on the Sail 