Good Morning, Skye!

The rain has gone, the sun has come. Skye is showing her rare colors.

False alarm

Well, despite yesterday's forecast, we did not see the sun today either. So relaxing is the sound of the rain drizzling on the roof. I'm surprised I still notice it. My new polish friends are very optimistic though: they believe that although it is distressing now, once the school ends and we all return to our respective homes we will miss it. Perhaps they are thinking of the scenario in which we become stranded on Skye longer than expected... But there is hope in the bridge, and I believe it can be reached by foot in a couple of days.

Despite the weather four of us intrepid explorers hit the road today and walked the 4 kilometers to Armadale. Here is a map of Sleat (pronounced "slate" in gaelic), the southern part of Skye. Roughly 3 km separate the college from Armadale castle, and another 1 km brought us to the pier. Nearby there were two pottery shops, two gift shops, the ferry to Mallaig (not for sale) on the mainland, and a tiny petrol station shop where we found a variety (three) of chocolate bars and some postcards.
The "general store" (we made bets on its size) conveniently closes for lunch around the time we take lunch, and opens half an hour before our lectures start again (not enough time to walk back to the college).
We haven't visited it.

I forgot my camera this time, but I sense we will have several more opportunities to walk to Armadale, so pictures should follow shortly. I should mention that while walking along the coast, we met a few of these



It is an oystercatcher. They don't like Krystof.

We might see the sun

Our arrival at Sabhal Mor Ostaig, Scotland's only gaelic college, on Monday took place in somewhat cold weather (8 Celsius). Today, I believe we have reached 15 Celsius. The rain has also been incredibly cooperative: it has only stopped about 4 times, for 2 to 5 minutes each time.

We were each assigned a room with a bathroom





Here is the view from my window (north-ish). My room is located on the main campus of Sabhal Mor Ostaig. There is another campus a five-minute walk down the road. The tower in the picture also contains guests. Doesn't it look like a lighthouse? In fact that really helps it fit in the decor, when seen from far away. Just before it is the main building where we eat and where the lectures take place.



And the view from the room at the end of the hallway (east, towards the mainland)




We get fed decently, and I must say that the seafood is delicious. There was some confusion at first about what we need to pay for and what is included in the school fee. It turns out we only need to pay for canned or bottled drinks. They do provide water pitchers though. And lots and lots of coffee and tea.

Addendum

Here are the actual faces of my wonderful hosts in Uppsala. Aren't they cute?

Idol

- Hi, I'm Diana.
- I'm Eric.

.........
[bla bla bla]
.........

- Wait, what's your last name?
- Ford.
- Eric Ford? Oh my God, I read all your papers!

[embarrassed smile from Eric]

Later on, frisbee game on Skye with Eric, Alex and Peter.

Uppsalalalala

I'm in love with a city! Pretty yet modern Uppsala overflows with greenery, old beautiful buildings and a happening "downtown". Camille and Kimmo have been impeccable hosts (oh, those crepes!).
Here they are.



Thank you Kimmo for trying to keep me up and drinking all night :-) Cam, it was great seeing you, friends like you don't come by very often. Oh, why are my best friends all in cities other than mine? Thankfully, Agnes always comes to the rescue. Please don't move to France, Ag. Actually, people who know you at the duty free at Trudeau were asking me if you live in Paris now (???) ...
And of course, my darling, my one and only, he knows who he is.

While visiting a market in Stockholm, we found these (wasabi flavored rice puffs) among other sample baskets:



The Vasa, a ship that sank near Stockholm in the 1600's, shortly after being launched. Why is it loved by Swedes and tourists alike? Because despite its one fatal flaw, the Vasa was one of the largest warships at the time, and an incredible piece of engineering. It sank because there was not enough ballast in her belly to counterbalance the weight of the huge guns and cannons on the upper decks. Since it was top-heavy, any small breeze could make it lean on its side to the point of taking water through the gunholes, and eventually (quite quickly) sinking.



This one's for Aaron, who should perhaps start reading this blog. Give him a hint, Francis (if you still read it...). Walking to Camille's workplace, we encountered some high-road bandits. We had to make way for some, for fear of being speared alive on those hard little horns.



A view of the Uppsala cathedral, with a bit of surrounding ambience.



And finally... One wheel, two wheels, three wheels, ten thousand wheels! The bike "parking lot" near the train station. Not exactly unique in Uppsala.



In Uppsala, we have both gone to a party and left from the party while there was still light outside. Cheers to the north!

Long weekend

And a glorious weekend it was. Lots of hiking and some cold cold water canoeing/kayaking in Mauricie National Park. With wonderful company and great weather, we made the best of those three days, topped with a victorious return to Montreal, involving blasting Beatles songs and singing along at the top of our lungs. Below, the camping.

Lights... drumroll... sparkle!

Magic... music... movement... magnificence. My first time. Tonight I joined the ever-growing crowd of awestruck Cirque du Soleil spectators. If you've attempted a front flip over your crouching partner, springing from and attempting to land on a tight rope, missed, and "barely" caught yourself by the hands, would you get right back up and try it again? If you were sprung from a see saw, flipping backwards and attempting to land with your feet on the shoulders of a man standing on the shoulders of another man, and failed three times, would you try it a fourth? If you were performing one-handed acrobatics on the back of a chair below which 9 others are piled up, would you be able to do it under the scrutiny of the audience, the lights and the clapping, without any safety device?

They would. They do. They don't give up. They are made of sheer strength, concentration and especially perseverence. The circus is out to inspire and the Cirque du Soleil in particular has yet to fail in this mission.

Tonight they painted a grin on my face that lasted throughout the show and for some time afterward. I felt like a six-year-old child again. I gasped and exclaimed. I cannot remember the last time I was in such a sustained state of awe.

There are still some tickets left since Kooza runs until the third week of June, so if you can, make time to watch a perfomance.