My Islay (and something else) look back at 2021

Islay Events

So there we are, New Year’s Eve 2021. Another year coming to an end. Might as well take a look back at the year, what it meant to me, Islay related and a few other areas. The year brought both good and bad things and events:

In particular the first half of the year was of course still dominated by the Covid-19/Coronavirus pandemic, even though the ramp up of the vaccination efforts brought some hope. My second dose came too late for me to book anything for the first half of the year (I had decided I wasn’t going to travel until my second dose had taken full effect). Still, I managed to continue with daily posts on my Islay pictures photoblog by digging into my archives and plundering some other resources (mainly pictures taken on my phone). Also the belated online Islay Sessions 2020 took place early in 2021.

Then the first bad news struck when Ian Brooke unexpectedly passed away in June. I still miss him, my daily visits to the Islay Birds blog are not the same without him (that’s not to diminish the sterling job the team continuing it in his memory is doing, it’s just different). Also missed seeing and catching up with him at his bird hide when I finally managed to return to Islay in September, at least I had a good catch up with Margaret.

At least September brought my first return to Islay after 22 months without a visit. As you can read in that post it was magical. Being back on the beaches was just brilliant. Rediscovering some old haunts and exploring a few new places was just what I needed. And I had booked my next visit even before I left for my September visit, returning for a week in October. This time I stayed at Ballitarsin Lodge, which was another new experience. Some fantastic views from up there, also a few morning walks along the Glen Road instead of a beach. I got to meet some old friends with their latest addition to the household (and some homemade Spaghetti Bolognese on great evening), followed by some brilliant October night skies (I still need to process the pictures from that…).

Then the end of the year arrived with some bad news, but also a lot of opportunity for 2022: Earlier this afternoon I shut down my work laptop for the last time as a Verizon employee. Or in other words, from next week I’m looking for opportunities for the next stage of my career. If you know of any good jobs in the Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) area or similar, positions as a Finance Business Partner or similar please get in touch. Remote work or in the Greater Reading / West Berkshire and around area. You can learn about my skills and experience on my LinkedIn profile. Onwards and upwards, and after I’ve settled into my next career step it will be time for another visit to Islay.

Author: Armin Grewe

I blog about Islay.

3 thoughts on “My Islay (and something else) look back at 2021”

  1. Thank you so much for your wonderful photos of Islay. They have provided a bright note every day during the pandemic, transporting me across the Atlantic. I especially appreciated your photos in and around Ballitarsin. I had just discovered my great-grandfather’s baptismal record from 1814 from the Bowmore Round Church showing him residing at Ballitarsin. The next day like magic your photos appeared.
    I wish you well in your new career ventures.

  2. As I eluded to yesterday, today marks the start of a new chapter in my life, even though I don’t know yet where it will lead me. All I know is that over the coming weeks I’ll be looking for new career opportunities, while also aiming to use the opportunity for a few other changes. But at the same time there are some constants, including my love for Islay and some annual rituals/traditions:

    West Berkshire New Year’s Day dawn

    This morning I got up early and left for my morning walk before dawn, on the return leg I saw a lovely colourful New Year’s day first dawn of the year sky over one of the West Berkshire fields I pass on my route. When I returned home I got the oven going for some fresh “New Year’s Day bread”, one Hemp Hearts bread and one fruit bread. Then it was time for one of my New Year’s Day traditions (mentioned on this blog before eg in 2020 and in 2018), the New Year’s Day concert from Vienna with a dram of Islay single malt whisky and my New Year’s Day brunch.

    The whisky is the same as for Christmas, the Kilchoman Single Cask 11 Years Old Bourbon Cask. The brunch is the aforementioned Hemp Hearts bread, scrambled eggs and some smoked salmon. The salmon “slowly smoked for 12 hours over oak & whisky cask chippings”, so I’m imagining they were Islay whisky cask chippings.

    New Year’s Day brunch with an Islay dramThe concert has now reached the encores with the famous Blue Danube, so I’m going to finish now and wish you all a happy and healthy New Year 2022!
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    Author: Armin Grewe

    I blog about Islay.
    View all posts by Armin Grewe



  3. Thank you Armin for an other year of blogs, great stories and pics/movies. I had goods and bads myself last year, covid did miss me and at the end of 2021 I got my booster jab as well. In July me and a mate went on a short break in Germany on our motorbikes, lovely trip sunny and a few showers, we left Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler on July 12th. You know what happend after that…I still can’t believe it, I cried when I saw the reports on the news channels, the area is wrecked! You as from German origin must have felt sad at the time. Belgium and The Netherlands had floods as well the following days.
    In september I left for a solo trip on the my motorbike to Gibraltar, passing Belgium , Luxembourg, France, Andorra and Spain. Three weeks of travel in beautiful Europe: 6700 km in all.
    I do miss Scotland and the Western Isles a lot, every attempt for the last two year failed due to the covid and travel rules. My hopes are on 2022!

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