Spirited Adventurer

Well after a 6 hour boat ride to Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands I can confirm that my aspirations of traveling the seven seas as a pirate are over, at and end, kaput as they say. The last two hours of the journey were a psychological battle between mind and body. At one stage, with my mouth watering - not for food but to help with the exit of food, I had to sit down, and basically tell it to calm down and for my stomach to stop doing somersaults. It did work, as I consciously then closed my eyes and let my mind wander to some alternate reality - anywhere but on that boat. I am proud that I lasted and smart enough to say - never again! Orkney Islands are amazing, Kirkwall is a sweet coastal town, and the islands play host to some of the most amazing Neolithic sites I have ever seen dating back to 3000 bc and as far back as 5000 bc. homes and structures that have lasted millennia. Two of the stone circles I visited yesterday were amazing and reminded me of how much I enjoy looking at such ceremonial places. I guess they are the ritual sites of the sun and moon. We have churches and mosques, they had the earth, sun and moon. Once again all the stones and various tombs align at solstice, and create an amazing sight on these islands, with water so close. Tomorrow I am leaving to travel to Edinburgh, which I just love, and the challenge is to get the shortest ferry ride possible!!

I know I know, it has been a while between entries. I have done quite a lot of different things since last Imwrote. I visited Beatrix Potters home HillTop, and was delighted at how magical it was. Seeing the work of someone's imagination always brings a sense of joy to me. And with getting to know more of Beatrix's story I enjoy her tenaciousness and ability to live life according to her rules in a time where that wasn't the thing to do. I have parted ways with the Lakes District and have had the fortune to meet up with some of my friends in York. Seeing the Minster again was great and the stain glass windows and sheer size of it is mind boggling. And from the sunshine I have been spoilt with, to the cold and rain of Glasgow. Glasgow has a lot of spunk about it. Old architecture with personality. It is a shame to only be spending one night here but tomorrow I leave on one of my longer legs - a train to Aberdeen and then a ferry to the Isle of Orkney which is an island off the north west coast. It will be my first ship experience, catching the ferry from Aberdeen to Kirkwall. I am rather excited about it, let's hope I don't suffer from sea sickness - only one way to find out I guess. So the next time I check in it will be from Kirkwall. I do hope that everyone enjoyed the super moon over the weekend :) xxto