My Left Foot, June 15

Dear Friends,

I wrote you last after we arrived in the beautiful town of Oban, Scotland. 

What I didn't tell you was that on our last day in Ireland we were hiking in the Burren and I slipped on some wet grass and fell about 5 feet (Jerry couldn't catch me). I thought at the time that I had sprained my ankle. I iced it, took some pain meds, etc. Sunday was a travel day - got wheelchairs where I could at the train stations and at the airports. But by Monday morning my left foot was pretty sore and swollen.

So instead of seeing the sights that day we had a National Health Service tour at the Oban Hospital. And I came out with this prize. 

We had no complaints of the National Health Service. They assessed my injury, took some X-rays, sent them off to a specialist, and "plastered" me up within 3 hours. Oh, and I got two new crutches as well!

This has been a humbling experience. Every time I look at those crutches I think of Jane, my best friend in high school, who had polio. I don't know how she got around so gracefully on those "sticks" as they call them here. I seem to struggle with every step.

At first it looked like I was going to tour Scotland from the inside of our hotels or guest houses. But before long We figured out we needed a better way to ambulate. So, voila, we rented a wheelchair for a day. It made all the difference. One problem, however, was that our great room at the guesthouse with a view of Oban Harbor . . .

. . . was on the THIRD floor. We could have moved to a tinier room on the 2nd floor in the back. But, or is that " butt", I found the easiest way to navigate up and down three flights of stairs was on my rear end! 

Back to the wheelchair. . . Once we rented a spiffy little model we took a ferry ride to the Isle of Mull. We glided by the Duart Castle.

hen took a bus to the colorful fishing village of Tobermory. It looks like a commercial for a paint company.

This little "faux pas" will slow us down a bit, but we will still make the most of what Scotland has to offer us. Walter Rice's colleagues in Edinburgh - The Best of Scotland Holidays - have been so helpful in arranging a rental car delivered to Oban, finding us wheelchairs, etc. etc.

Needless to say I am learning some important life lessons. I so appreciate that Jerry has pitched in with great ideas and indefatigable energy. What a guy!!

We are in Stirling, Scotland now. More on that later.

All the best,

Mary