In some ways, my visit to the island of Lopud, a 50 minute ferry ride from the Dubrovnik port, was a bit of a pilgrimage.

With Sue and Jim on Lopud, May 2005

I was last there nine years ago with my friends Sue and Jim.  We walked a lot, drank a lot of cheap red wine, ate seafood and laughed.  I was younger and Jim was healthy.

Today when I visited the island it seemed not to have changed much. But I was aware that I was nine years older and ten pounds heavier and Jim …well, Jim is gone.

Pretty much the same spot, May 2014. I was likely standing on the rocks we were sitting on in 2005 to get this photo in 2014.

I spent six hours walking around the island, on familiar paths up hills, to the beach and past the ruins of centuries-old churches. I took lots of photos but probably didn’t need to since not much has changed and I suspect I have all the same photos from previous trips to the island.

All along the pathways were wildflowers of different colours but the most prominent ones were wild roses.  As I walked, I kept thinking “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may.”

The 1909 John Williams Waterhouse painting, “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may”

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today,
Tomorrow will be dying.

I wondered as I left on the ferry if I will ever come back to Lopud.  I have visited the island several times, always with friends.  Good times past. The island is the same but time has rushed on and those good times are now fond memories.

I also know that there is still time to create some new ones – but on some other island.

Note to self, and to everyone else as well  – Get out the shears and keep gathering those memories.