Iona, Scotland

 Ok, so we have been on Isle of Iona for a couple of days...it's been beautiful and amazing.... It's quite small but yet not at the same time when you have to walk everywhere :) Our bed and breakfast was the absolute best place we could have ended stay...the owner, Richard, was the best hostess...incredibly accommodating and very nice and an amazing cook.  We have definitely loved staying here.  Especially, because it's right on the water also. Our first day here we hiked up a mountain on the east side of the island...it didn't take too long but it was totally worth it...it was gorgeous.  It definitely took my breath away and I couldn't believe the beauty that God made...although, I don't put anything past Him, but He always surprises me.   We ate a at nice restaurant called the Columba.  It was amazing....it doesnt get dark here until like 1am... It was weird. Yesterday, we slept in a little...I did a devotional and then we both just explored the beach.  Mostly sun bathing and just admiring the views. Just incredibly low key.  We ate at the restaurant again and it was just as amazing. The services here are really awesome...they treat you like s celeb!!!!! As we were walking back to our b&b we hear bag pipes. We walked up on what they call a ceili... We followed the bag pipers from across the bay up to an abbey and they had a concert.  It was amazing!!!!!  The way they play is just incredible.  Other people got up and performed and sang...some older man sang about cholesterol and it was hysterical because he can't have it but he wants it hahaha..then they did some readings and then we took a break for some tea and snacks. Afterwards, they do dancing... There was this little girl in front of me during tea time who was on a bench throwing her arms back and forth like she had  sword and was yelling, "I will make you walk the plank you pirate!" omg it was hilarious.. She was so loud but I thought I would die laughing.... Well, we didn't stay for the dancing.... It was incredibly unorganized and it was funny but everyone was just genuinely having a good time...it was awesome. At midnight you are supposed to follow out the bagpipers as they get on the ferry and cross back over and they continue to play until they reach land. The main bag piper was a very talented man.  Only a people are asked to play at the tattoo military esplanade in Edinburgh and he has done so twice!!!! Anyways, some lady was talking about the sun rise and that it comes up at 4am... So, I get this awesome idea to get up to take pictures... Well, 4am until 5:30am, nothing hardly...I was absolutely freezing!!!!!!  It was just me and the rabbits and birds on the beach....But I was able to get some decent pictures but I was frozen...  Had to rub my feet and then take two hot showers at two different times on blazing hot to just thaw out my feet...man, was it painful!  But I was finally able to fall asleep. So, on 3hrs of sleep I wake up and we eat breakfast...it was awesome! The guy who cooks (Richard who owns it) is amazing... It's all solo good. Anyways, we go to the abbey and we sit thru s service there and walk the grounds. It's really, really old... It was so amazing to touch the walls of an abbey that kings walked in.  They are also in the graveyards... But you couldn't read most of them because the tomb stones are so old. Anyways, afterwards....we headed out to go hiking to see where st. Columba discovered the island. On our way out, I was dumbly texting and walking down the steps...yeah obviously not so smart...I missed the last two or three and face planted and my backpack went flying over my head onto the floor, my phone slung across the foyer, and I landed on my knee and shoulder...I just laid there...meg was like 'what the heck just happened' and obviously laughing once she knew I was ok... It was quite comical.  I am too old for this...my hips hurt, my back...hahah just too much. Well, when we were walking up the hill we passed two people and asked if we were going in the right direction... They said yes and that it was 'quite boggy'....well, that was an understatement!!!!!!!  First we were scared that the goats were gonna pummel us...they just stared and ran and then stared some more. Haha. At first it was fun....Well, after an hour of trekking in the awful poop and mud and wetness we were quite over it.... I was getting so mad I just wanted to turn around.  30mins later we finally came upon an open enough part between the mountains that seemed to be a path...but no, it didn't lead to the st. Columba shore but to the marble quarry they have here...ugh we were over trying to find his beach. But, we ended up rock climbing and hiking instead...it was awesome fun.  It was sort of dangerous given the crevices and the ocean with rocks was on the other side if we fell off...but we found a cove and stuff it was cool. By the time we finally made it back up to the top to cross over omg our muscles were killing us.... But hey it's a good work out. Anyways, we finally made it to the shore and it was totally nothing but rocks.... And there was really nothing much to it.  Idk what they hype was about. So, we started back home from there and we were already 2.5hrs in.... What a treat we were in for...all up hill...mostly boggy poo and mud. Freezing wind and lots of hills.  There is this bush that is so rough and prickly but it looks like broccoli...we joked that it was broccolis dried up ancestors.  Boy did they hurt! And then.. An hour later, we were so over it that to my shock, meg tested out an old cow patty to see if it was strong enough to hold us over some mud...I couldn't believe it..it actually did. As gross as it sounds, we used it to step on. Hahaha. Finally, we find the fences and know that the end is near...and we run up on our goat friends... It was lovely to see them again. Finally, after hours of grossness and fun adventure we made it back...frozen and a mess. Now to get some sleep for we leave for Dublin tomorrow to end our last couple of days there before we fly home!!!!!!  I can't believe it's almost here...I am sad yet excited at the same time.  Ready to see my family and my max but I will miss Europe and all that it has to offer...well, mostly just Ireland and Scotland. So, I will blog once more before we leave... But until then..cheers :)