On Vacations and Bankruptcies
A misty morning in Carrbridge
Finally blogging again, or at least attempting to on a regular cadence. It is so easy to put off, or simply forget you have a space to share photography and your thoughts. Hopefully this is the first of at least a couple posts before 2025 closes out.
September ended with both of us very excited for our first trip to Iceland in mid-October. We were looking forward to getting in a lot of hiking and photography. Reservations were made, rental cars and flights booked and paid for. Then on September 29th I was reading through a news aggregator email and saw an interesting headline. Play Airlines had suddenly gone bankrupt overnight, stranding some 1700 customers in Reykjavik. This was the same airline that I had booked tickets on several months ago. Interestingly there was no announcement from the airline, or the site I had booked through. If not for that email I wouldn’t have known the flights were cancelled until several days later.
In the meantime I began researching my options. While the rental car was paid for, I could still receive a full refund. I had not yet paid for the hotel, and was able to cancel with no penalty. The question then was, do we book on a different airline and still head to Iceland, or do we pivot completely? Unfortunately, flights that short notice to Iceland were exceptionally expensive, so we looked for alternatives. I had three criteria that needed to be met.
We were already out money from our flights with Play, so we needed to find a deal.
Nature was a must. There were plenty of inexpensive flights to various European cities, but I really needed to get out of the city to recharge.
Native English speakers were a bonus.
After considering those options Wales or Scotland became obvious choices. KLM happened to be running a deal on direct flights to and from Inverness which made the decision even easier. So, we quickly changed course, booked flights, hotel and a car and prepared for 5 days in the Highlands.
As every other trip we have made to Scotland, this one delivered beyond expectations. Inverness and the surrounding area is unbelievably beautiful. We arrived just past the peak of fall colors, but there were still plenty of trees in their autumn transition.
We landed early enough to be able to have a traditional Sunday roast at the Snow Goose. What a great way to kick off a vacation! Lamb, potatoes, yorkshire pudding. It was all delicious, especially when washed down with Tennent’s. Full and satisfied we headed to the hotel which was just a few minutes up the road. The room was large, comfortable and well appointed. We unpacked and headed down to the lounge for cocktails and to plan the rest of our vacation.
For our first hikes we chose a town in the Cairngorms as our launching off point - Carrbridge. All the photos added to my gallery were taken in and around Carrbridge. If you asked me to sum up my perfect day, it would probably be exactly what we experienced on our first day in Carrbridge. The weather was cool, but no rain during our hikes. A mist had settled in the area adding an amazing ambiance to the scenery. We took a quick hike that followed a river surrounded by beautiful forests, farms and homes. From there we hiked through a forest that was literally across the street from where we parked. The opportunities for photography were incredible. The trail meandered through the woods past an old cemetery. The pine trees were framed in the mist and every now and then a maple or birch tree would brighten the area with colors of gold, orange and red. After several hours of hiking we had both worked up an appetite and decided to head back to the car to scout out a place for lunch.
We headed into an inn, whose sandwich board included lunch items and cask beer, exactly what I was looking for. The inn was rustic, charming and utterly fantastic. The fireplace was crackling away on one wall, and there were a few locals already sitting around eating. The menu was surprisingly varied and my sandwich was delicious, made even better by the local beer. While I am not done with Amsterdam, and in no hurry to move, I could definitely see myself settling down in a place like Carrbridge someday. Maybe open a small shop where I could sell records and our photographs. Something with a fireplace, comfy seating and good company.
We actually ended up making a return trip to Carrbridge a couple of days later to purchase some ceramic owls we noticed in the window of a shop run by local artisans.
Other than hiking and photography there were only a couple of other things we wanted to do. First, a stop to a bookshop in Inverness proper called Leakey’s. I had found it online and to say I was enamored is probably not overstating it. Located in an old church, Leakeys is Scotland's largest second hand bookshop. It is exactly what you imagine when you think of an old, local bookshop. Two stories of shelves lined with books, stacks of books scattered about and a wood burning fireplace situated in the middle. The only disappointment was they had no copies of Robin Hood, which is my favorite story of all time. Still, we managed to find a few items that made their way back to Amsterdam.
Second, a used record shop called Barneys Spin and Retro Games. A short walk from Leakey’s and we were at the front door of what I would call a fairly typical used record shop. Milk crates full of records, loosely organized by genre. What made Barneys so delightful was the shop owner. While I didn’t catch his name he was one of the friendliest, most accommodating shop owners I think I have ever encountered. Again, we found a few gems that made their way into our bag and back to Amsterdam.
All in all it ended up being an excellent vacation and as it turns out, exactly what I needed. I am reminded that I am very fortunate that the flight to Iceland didn’t ruin my vacation. I was still able to make alternate plans, and enjoy some time off. I also realize that I was impacted far less than many others. I think it is important to remember that while I had to make alternate plans, I didn’t lose my job, literally overnight. I wasn’t in Reykjavik when Play folded and left stranded trying to find a way home. I think we lose perspective of that sometimes, and while a minor inconvenience for me, this had a very real, large impact on others. That is a lesson I intend to hold on to in the future.
