** SHETLAND 2000 **
This page is the 14 June 2002 edition of this page.
Thursday - 22 June 2000 dawned
Everyone else in the hotel was going 'North' for the day. I wanted to do something special, -
so I decided to explore the Sumburgh area - and, in particular, the JARLSHOF site.
This is the most important archaelogical site in the UK- so I'm not going to miss something like this!!
I planned to give it a FULL STUDY in my own time - however long it takes! I actually entered the site
before it opened, then returned to the museum area and its REAL entrance. When the 'girls' arrived,
I purchased a guide book - they didn't bother me for an entrance-fee!! I stayed, wandered around the place,
took photos etc for a full 2 hours before I departed at 11.10 a.m..
On studying the guide-book, I learned that 'Jarlshof' covered the BRONZE AGE, the IRON AGE
('Early' and 'Late' eras) with villages, 'round' houses, 'wheel' houses, 'broch' areas, 'PICTS' areas,
NORSE areas and even up to a medieval farmhouse. Even later, there was the LAIRDS house and
a GREAT HALL, and I even noticed two burial areas with dates in the 1830s!!
That's a long time for its occupation from the NEOLITHIC period up to the 1830s! I've really
walked in TIME from 5000-6000 years ago until the 19th Century!! I'm very glad I came here!!
After coffee in my room, I went for a walk to SUMBURGH airport (via the periphery of Runways
15, 33, 06 and 24) and eventually arrived at its Terminal Building - having witnessed miscellaneous
takeoffs and birds (terns, curlews etc) around the perimeter and coastline. In that building, I indulged
in a snack (Prawn wholemeal bread sandwiches) - before the long RETURN walk, arriving back (shattered!)
in my room at 14.35hrs. Laying down on my bed for an hour's rest & recovery, I later went for more
coffee and took today's medicines (tablet form).
Getting out again at 16.12hrs, I went for another long walk (this time to SUMBURGH HEAD and its
Lighthouse) to the cliffs for bird watching and ALSO some WHALE & DOLPHIN watching. This
was an enjoyable contrasting walk with its scenery and wildlife! I returned to the hotel, this time,
at 18.04hrs (NOT tired on this occasion!) and passed our coach going in the opposite direction. It had
Colin and the other driver and some fellow travellers on-board. That evening, I had a very good meal
with friends there, with many experiences to relate from ALL - and then packed for tomorrow!
23 JUNE 2000 (Friday)
I climbed, reluctantly, out of bed at 6.15am to get ready for the return journey. Today was to
be our LAST day on the SHETLAND isles! En-route to LERWICK we diverted, for
sightseing at FLADDABISTER. At Lerwick, I wandered around, exploring the place, before
being collected by coach to go to the boat (P&O's ST.SUNNIVA) in the late morning.
I had lunch, using a voucher, on-board the boat - and afterwards I went to my cabin and, by 2pm,
I was tucked up in bed with sea-sickness or food poisoning symptoms (There had been, for me,
the 'junk' food of white bread, butter and sugar!) - and I heard nothing about the evening meal (would
it be before or after the stop at ORKNEY??). At 6.50pm, I managed to catch an announcement about
"last call for dinner", but having been sick since about 6pm, I was not 'in the mood' for food anyway!!
Anyhow, I went to the restaurant and picked up (good when sickness around!) a soup dish - but
nothing else appealed to me. Back to the room later, I indulged in REST and settling the stomach.
I saw our entry to the channel for docking at STROMNESS - and there was another P&O boat there
too! I had missed the "Old Man of Hoy"!!! I decided to try and find some fresh air when we landed,
first chatting with Chris & Margaret, before deciding to 'go out' on my own. STROMNESS is very
like a number of NORWEGIAN ports that I visited in "An Arctic Aventure". It was VERY similar
indeed!! On this outpost of the 'Viking' part of the UK, the walk did me good, leading to a complete
recovery. Having a visit time, here, from 8pm until 10pm, I used about half an hour for my main walk,
returning to the boat and its bar for chats with Chris, Margaret, Fred etc, etc..After 10pm, the boat
headed into SCAPA FLOW. We had a pleasant night's travel this time!! Breakfast will be at about
7 am. tomorrow!
24 JUNE 2000 (Saturday)
Having been awoken several times during the night, I appeared to come out of it with NO
PROBLEMS!! Chatting with friends occupied me during breakfast (essentially scrambled eggs
and grapefruit segments - but on different plates!) and I put my case near the 'shop' after other
passengers were OFF. Then a short exercising walk and talk with other friends in the fresh-air
on the dock, - before getting on the coach at 7.45 am.. We left at 8.08 am..
We went via DUNDEE's TAY BRIDGE, then, on departing from the FORTH BRIDGE we
had some music on the coach - before Colin put on an IRISH comedy tape. This took us almost
to JEDBURGH for our lunch-stop where I had a simple 'sausage, chips and vegetables' meal. When
we left there, it was 13.25hrs (we were amused by a coach in the same 'park' labelled "VIAGRA
RESEARCH TEAM") and by 13.48hrs we were back at the ENGLISH/ SCOTTISH border for
another stop (no food this time - just a photo-opportunity!)
Our next stop was at "Washington Services" for afternoon tea - and then we dropped off
some passengers at BOROUGHBRIDGE - and eventually we arrived at the Hotel in
BRIGHOUSE, just when another coach (of the Wallace Arnold persuasion) was emptying
its contents! It wasn't until 10.15 that we could get in, get our keys and get on my ROUTE-MARCH
(following other passengers) for a very long way - up to Room 234 on the 2nd Floor (after
several miles on the Ground Floor). This was the POSTHOUSE (Leeds) at BRIGHOUSE,
Colin, who isn't staying here, says that our DINNER will be at 7.30pm, breakfast at 8.30am and
that our cases have to be outside the doors at 8.15am ready for tomorrow's journeying - and that
we'd be picked up at about 10am!! In my room, at 18.20hrs, I noticed a "WA Guests" TV announcement
that we'll now have our DINNER at 7.00pm. I was in the middle of a "Guiness Records Programme" and
after the "Don't Try This At Home" programme I, therefore, went for the meal. (This was just 20mins after
my case was delivered to my room and I could then shave!)
The restaurant was so FAR away (felt as though I wandered MILES to find it!) - I was not in a good mood
when they also delivered the WRONG meal to me (giving me a Salmon and pizza-like Italian concoction ...
and I hate Salmon!!) and a Chinese waitress (who could not understand either English or Scottish!!) took
my complaint back with obvious loss in translation! Substantially later, when MOST other diners had
finished, I got my Vegetable Lesagne!!
Fair enough!!, - it was GREAT (I'd waited long enough) - as was the sponge & custard!! All these delayed
items proved to be VERY filling, so I was very pleased in the END! Then it was 'back to my own room' for
experiments on the French Windows (to the balcony) - followed by some Beechams for 'cold and throat'
problems. I then 'turned in' for the night!
25 JUNE 2000 (Sunday)
Waking up a couple of times during the night (well in 'time' according to the Digital Clock on the TV!), I still
laid in and didn't get up until about 6.30 am.. Then it was quickly into the packing, shaving, washing and
sorting out ready for today's return journey to MALVERN (via Strensham?). This leg of the trip would be
about 180 miles and went via Huddersfield, M60 and other motorways to the M6, stopping first at the
'Services' at SANDBACH, then another before STRENSHAM! Both were for refreshments. The arrival
at Strensham was at 14.40, transferring to Malvern & Worcester - arriving at Malvern's Barnard's Green
at 15.10. From there it was a taxi to home where I arrived at 15.30hrs. As USUAL on my returns, my
first action was to FIRE UP the ZANUSSI washing machine, - followed very closely by the EMail and
Internet checks & inspections.
So now I'm back where I belong!!
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