Shamrock Report #12
Photobucket is acting up at the moment so that I can't finish uploading photos. (In the meantime, I'm posting our write-up for yesterday, which has reporting that duplicates what Ngaire posted.
In Lerwick, UK in the Shetland Islands, we had our best weather since leaving Southampton. It was a bright and sunny day, even if the temperatures were in the 50s. The Shetland Islands are the most northerly part of the British Isles with about 22,000 people. There are over 1000 islands , the largest being the Mainland of about 351 square miles. Both the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea border the islands.
Our tour began with a scenic one-hour drive to the southern part of the island. We drove through some very interesting land and seascapes and various lochs. We also passed a broch at the head of a loch (say that fast with a Scottish accent). They don't know if the broch was used as protection or whether it was just a status symbol for a wealthy farmer. We also stopped at an overlook of a beautiful bay with two beaches. On one of the beaches was a group of seals with at least four pups. At one point a male swimming in the water tried to come up on the beach and one of the largest seals on the beach seemed to defend his turf and his harem. Quite a malay ensued (see photo).
We continued on toward Jarlshof and at one point drove over the airport runway, remembering to look both ways. Our guide said that some tourists make a left turn at the runway, believing it is the fastest way to the airport--a potentially dangerous mistake--though air traffic isn't exactly a problem! We then arrived at Jarlshof. A violent storm in 1905 had uncovered this archaeological site, revealing remains from the Stone Age and settlements from the Bronze and Iron Ages. Stone houses from an ancient Viking community are also visible. The name Jarlshof, or Laird's House, refers to the community of the Norse Jarls that resided there in the 7th century. During our visit, our excellent guide, Peter (note his mustache) explored remains with us pointing out the various structures, from most ancient to the final 17th century manor. One of the Iron Age houses--the wheel house--was particularly interesting. It is round with internal "spokes" delineating the rooms for various families.
There were also Shetland ponies at Jarlshof--one of the most famous attractions of the Islands. The ponies have inhabited Shetland since Viking times. Their shaggy coats and flowing manes equip me them to withstand severe weather conditions.
During the course of the tour, we also saw small agricultural areas where sheep farming is apparent. At almost ever small village (and in Lerwick itself there was a cemetery near the water. Peter said that this location was chosen so that surrounding neighbors would see the funerals taking place and sail on their boats to attend.
From Jarlshof, we drove to Hoswick where we could learn a little about the history and culture of Shetland and do a little shopping--the most interesting items were the local knits.
From Hoswick, we headed back to Lerwick and drove around the quaint town. We had Peter drop us off in the town center, having decided to look for a fish & chips restaurant for lunch. We heard that there was one in particular that was supposed to be outstanding. Fortunately, we ran into the general manager from the ship who had just been there, so he could point out where we should head. It was well worth the effort. The fish & chips were outstanding. We saw a number of our fellow cruisers there, despite the fact that only about 20 people could be seated at any one time. (In the photo of the fish and chips, to give you an idea of the portions, the plates are those of Ken, Ngaire, and the Simpsons.)
We walked around a bit more after lunch, and then headed back to the ship. When we went to Tea & Trivia a little later, the Lounge was a mob scene. Trivia was ridiculously easy--I think at least 10 teams got all of the answers correct. Then most of them also got the tie breakers correct. Finally, the third tie breaker was, "In which Texas city is a rattlesnake round-up held?" Fortunately, Ngaire--who knew essentially every other answer, too--also had been to these round-ups twice (I think). The answer: Sweetwater, Texas. We won!
We had a pleasant dinner with friends--a repeat menu from last week. We turned in relatively early because we were losing another hour as we headed to Alesund, Norway.
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Gail and Eugene
