Slow recovering day yesterday, washing drying and cleaning Swallow
Looking around Stromness, a working port with the old Center still largely intact
Narrow steep streets leading directly onto the sea with many houses having their own slipways
Then today exploring the ledgendry antiquities set in an amazing landscape
Skara Brae uncovered in a storm in 1850, the best preserved Neolithic settlement in Europe; more than 5000 years old; before the pyramids were built sophisticated master craftsman were living and working these fertile shores.
Brough of Birsay, Pictish and Norse homestead occupied between 600 AD and 1200.
These were the motivation for the visit and have rewarded the effort of getting here
Wow! We've been anxiously awaiting an update, realising that youd have no signal as you rounded the NW corner. Held our breaths just reading about the Cape and North coast! Loving your evocative descriptions, Lester. Glad you are safely in the Orkneys and will have found a good deal more civilisation there, with a few facilities that you will have been missing no doubt. Delighted to see that you've explored the wonderful Skara Brae and Brough of Birsay. Awesomely beautiful places in addition to their archaeological significance. If you get the opportunity to add Maes Howe to this already impressive list, do take it. Glad to see you're getting a bit of downtime, or what passes for downtime with you, Lester (a slightly less frenetic pace). Hoping the weather becomes a little kinder. Recent photos have looked very dark and grey. Anyway well done; a truly spectacular achievement to date. Annie & Steve x
ReplyDeleteAwesome! Have spoken to a few consultants who have visited Orkney! Think we (John and me ) need to do this journey . Just loving your blogs ! Just want you back home safe and we'll. have only visited John o groats and the castle of Meyer ,
ReplyDeletewe're loving the vicarious pleasure of being with you on Orkney and recalling our visit to John'O'Groats on wheels a few years ago. We gazed north and wondered when we would get there again. Shake & Bitty
ReplyDeletehear (from gay, linda, whom we had lunch with at the ox) you've been out and about on orkney today. hoping you will have visited the orcadian epicentre, the neolithic stenness/brodgar complex. if not, gives you the excuse to return for a 2nd visit! delightful for us to see your photos of places we know so well, such as backstreets/quayside of stromness; feel as if we recognise every stone. good luck with the next leg; believe you are planning departure for 11am monday. we will be thinking of you as you set sail and we teach period 3! annie x
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