Oban Bay

As our flight was leaving Glasgow heading for home, we were warm and comfy in the Blair Villa South guesthouse. We knew we weren't going anywhere today, so we decided to just enjoy this extra day in this pretty little town. We booked the room for one more night, which was a huge relief. We didn't want to book a ticket home until we actually made it to Glasgow, but it did look like there was room on the 8:35 flight Tuesday morning, so that was a relief too. The Blair Villa provided breakfast, so we had a relaxing morning in the guest house. There was a break in the rain so we decided to go for a walk. We went to the rail and bus stations and found out nothing was moving yet but potentially later today. Scot Rail had a locomotive with a work crew checking out the line, and road crews had been working to pump the water off the roads and clear the rubble from the landslides. The leisure center was opened, so anyone who didn't find accommodations could use the showers. There were quite a few people who spent the night in their cars, hotel lobbies, and the Ferry terminal. We heard the flooding was bad around the grocery stores, so we walked there. Marks and Spencer's and Lidl were closed because their parking areas were in pretty bad shape, but Tesco was open. They were pumping the water out of the parking lots, but there were still a few cars submerged. We were told people leave their cars there when they walk on the ferries. It's not a great surprise to return to. The rain was getting heavier, so we stopped in a small cafe for lunch. It wasn't very busy so the young staff started closing early. Randy helped them clear tables, so they paid him with a free dessert. They made him share even though I really didn't do anything. We thought we better head out so they could finish closing and as luck would have it the cafe was a couple of doors down from the Oban Inn. It was cold and wet, and we knew the Inn was warm and dry, so we decided one more visit was in order. There were a couple of empty seats in the corner beside a woman and her dog, so we joined them. Molly was a very nice older spaniel, and Liz was a retired police officer from Southern England. They were traveling in their Volkswagen campervan and were parked a couple of miles out of town. They decided to walk in for lunch. We had a really nice visit talking about our similar experiences exploring the Highlands. It was pouring when she left for her long walk back, and she let us know she was soaked when she made it to her van. After Liz went, a younger Australian couple with a spaniel came and sat with us. They had a wonderful story. They were living on a 45-foot aluminum sailboat and had spent the last year in Norway. They were waiting out the crazy weather at a marina on Kerrera Island. Normally, they are at anchor, but a few days ago, their anchor dragged for the very first time in all their travels. Their stay at the dock was just until the crazy winds died down. We were really enjoying hearing about their adventures, but they had to leave to catch the last water taxi back to Kerrera. It's too rough to travel by dinghy today. They gave us a boat card so we could follow their blog. We were out of cards, so we couldn't share, we didn't bring enough cards on this trip. We'd had such a fun afternoon, and we were talking about heading back to our room for a quiet night when things got really interesting. Fi and Adrian had just left when three young men joined us. They were in Oban for the Highland Cattle auction. They had taken a ferry from Ireland and then drove around the barricades to get through the closed roads. Two of them put their wellington boots on and walked in front of the car to lead the driver forward. They shared a video, what an adventure. They were having so much fun, and they drew us in. They offered to drive us to Glasgow on Monday, but only if we would join them at the auction. They shared pictures and stories about the hairy coos they already have. Boy, do they ever love those cows. More people joined us, and things were getting pretty loud. Our Irish friends had rather colorful language, and we were asked to tone it down several times. Randy picked up the house guitar and started strumming. Then, an Australian couple came over, and they took turns playing and singing. Another man, I didn't get his name, and his daughter joined us, and he played some Scottish and Irish songs. He had coached the Irish Olympic sailing team and was a part-time professional sailor part-time furniture builder and full-time dad. We thought we should take our leave when the bartender gave us our final warning. Garry and Judy, the Australian couple who were playing and singing, asked if we wanted to join them for dinner, so the four of us went to Coasters. The Irish guys were organizing a party at the Royal Hotel and really wanted us to join them. We said, of course we would, but what we really meant was no, I don't think so. It was a blast meeting them, and they really did make our last day in Oban memorable. It was almost 10 by the time we got back to our room. Garry and Judy offered to drive us to Glasgow tomorrow if our train wasn't running. People are so nice.Read more