fairy slipper island

As some of you will be aware(!), I’m about to spend 8 weeks on the beautiful Isle of Iona (voluntary work with the Iona Community). I’m excited, but it’s going to be very difficult spending so much time away from the family – especially those living in Bristol whom I see on a very regular basis. It’s difficult enough for adults (me included) to get their heads around the prospect of me being away from home for such a period but, as you might imagine, it’s going to be even harder for our grandchildren, especially for 5 year-old Iris and (nearly) 3 year-old Rosa - who I see at least a couple of times every week.
I chatted with Iris yesterday about my impending trip and, thanks to the wonders of Google maps/satellite images, located the diminutive island on my computer screen (having first showed her images of her house/street in Bristol). Iona is just 3 miles long x 1 mile wide. Tiny. Really tiny. It even makes the small neighbouring island of Mull look pretty big!
We panned down so I could show her the sea and the white sandy beaches, together with the Abbey and the place where I’ll be working during my stay.
She seemed absolutely captivated by it all (although I’m sure she found it hard to fully comprehend)… and then announced that I was going to be living on “fairy slipper island” (because that’s how its shape appeared to her on the satellite image)!
I like that.
From now on, in her eyes, it IS fairy slipper island and, hopefully, she’ll be able to use this image while I’m away.
Photo: map of Iona (bottom left hand corner!) and (part) Mull.