Back to Oban…One More Time

 We were welcomed back to the Oban Hostel with open arms. In fact, at the reception desk stood Abigail, an America from Sitka, Alaska. She knits! And right then and there she enthusiastically added a red and white wide four-stitch ribbing. 

A couple weeks earlier on one of our stays here, we had gotten to know Barbara. Before we left for the Outer Hebrides, she told Cathy that she is a knitter and she enthusiastically added some red stockinette and embroidered SYHA (for Scottish Youth Hostel Association) on top. 

Cathy and Barbara had some nice conversations during our many stays in Oban. When we returned, she presented us with another traveling companion, a tiny SYHA bear on a keychain, who was sold in the hostels. His official name was Hamish MacBear, but Cathy did not want to get us mixed up, so she re-christened him as Seamus. It is still cold in Scotland, so she immediately knitted a hat and scarf for him. (I DO think a pair of pants would also be nice, Cathy.) 

Seamus really likes to ride along on the front of Cathy's bag.

On April 23, with a few tears, we departed Oban. 

Our last sunset in Oban

Cathy spent a week hiking on the Scottish Isle of Arran (not to be confused with the Aran Islands in Ireland). She did not even take me out of my bag the whole time! Since Seamus is so much smaller than I am, he got to go on some of the hikes. Oh well….

Cathy did make this thought-provoking post on Facebook regarding sheep and golf courses:



But our next destination is back in Ireland! In Roscommon! (Remember Roscommon?) And this time it is for the ROSCOMMON LAMB FESTIVAL!!!  Wow...knitters, spinners, weavers, crocheters...lambs...wool, wool, and more wool! Now you’re talkin’!

In fact, Cathy and I were featured in a promotional article in the local Roscommon People newspaper
Now we are back to a destination I can really relate to! CAN…NOT…WAIT.

Here is a montage featuring Seamus as we traveled from Arran to Dublin—by bus…ferry…train…bus…ferry…bus…overnight in Belfast…bus…tram…and train!