A new light on “The Olden Days” 9-11-26

It always makes you remember when you see the date, doesn’t it?  

We got to sleep in a bit this morning and boy was nit nice!  Breakfast was not as good as “Hotel California” but……. And the coffee, well i didn’t finish it.  

Off we went for a walk about, Claire found a pretty knitted poncho and scarf and i found earrings and a necklace, which I had been looking for.  Still on the lookout for a thistle waiting that hits my hot button.  Kirkwall is a charming little town and it was fun to stroll around and shop and meander.  We picked up something for lunch to snack on in the bus.  On the bus my chicken and mushroom pasty was filling and messy,  not the best choice for eating on the bus.

The afternoon was jam packed! 

 We went to the stones of Stenness and I had to laugh at my fellow man.  So many people played Claire (from Outlander) but none disappeared.  They were truly cool and though thought to be ceremonial and involving animal sacrifice no one really knows what they were for.  The short one in the back some brilliant person didn’t want them on his property and tried to blow it up for removal.  

This is a mound probably form the Iron Age, but they have left them covered due to erosion.

Then we went to the Ring of Brodgar, that was much larger and we’re not allowed to touch  here.  Maybe they really do take you someplace else?  It was amazing a perfect circle and huge, also thought to be ceremonial.  Originally it was believed that there were 60 stones now there are 36.   It also required serious community involvement to test them arrested as it is thought that they were set in place about 4000-4500 BC.  Now days  people get married there, and spring solstice people do their

thing.  I wandered around in awe wondering…..

Next was Skara Brae a “village” that was found by the laird  when  a storm blew away both the grass and dirt covering a ancient settlement.  Pre Iron Age!  But it was amazing they had sideboards, cubby’s, and beds!  It also made me wonder what these people were like, how did they live their lives, did they realize how hard it was or did they juts take their subsistence living for granted?  

Skaill House where the discovering Laird lived was lovely, Claire was particularly taken with it. I found a project for me over the winter!  

It is so much fun to see how people lived and yet, I most likely would not have been one of them, more likely a maid that used the back stairs.  

On the way back I crammed in some rhubarb and custard ice cream sold by an honestly box at a dairy farm.  

I also found a lively warm hoodie for some little Petunia with, ……… you guessed it a Coo.

They dropped us off in town to schelp our backpacks to St Magnus cathedral.

  It was nice, St Magnus, and his cousin had rather a truce, but the cousins peed in his wheaties and had his cook kill Magnus.  After his grave had miracles happen and hence St. Magnus.  He was supposed to be buried there but I did not see it.   

Dinner was salmon in a dill sauce, mashed carrots, broccoli and a lovely red cabbage.  I wish I knew how they cooked it because it was amazing!  I am thinking it would have also been lovely with pork loin!

Bed came early and I needed it!

Coos at First Sight

 Sunny side up egg this morning accompanied by, yep, mushroom’s and a croissant and coffee.  We escaped Hotel California, I mean Gairloch Hotel!  

This was my view out the window today.  

First stop Ullapool for a nose powder and a very quick shopping expedition. 

Then on to a place not very far as the crow flies but quite the distance as the bus drives for lunch.  

One stop was this cute ruin of a castle

The scenery has been absolutely breathtaking.  SO

Much water:  lochs, rivers and falls.  Mountains (you know

Monroe), glens and peet boggs everywhere one looks. AND I got to see real highland Coos for the first time! I had been waiting!

Lunch was provided and was sweet potato soup and a selection of sandwiches on amazing bread.  Coronation chicken, mayo and egg,  cheese  (sort of a cheese salad) or ham were the four choices and coffee.  Soup was ok sandwiches were delish. 

And the view was amazing.  

We have had a few stops for the loo this one they specially opened the town hall for us with a LOVE offering for the service.  

But there was this small John Lennon memorial right to the side as he liked to vacation there.  Another stop included pre made coffee or tea and shortbread either chocolate and caramel covered or cherry jam, a brownie or an oatmeal cake,  at our expense to the disappointment of some of my fellow travelers.

  But it was yummy, in spite of the fact that I had to fight for cream and sugar, and the bathrooms were in good shape.  

We have had a really nice day until about an hour ago as it started raining, which I count as a win as it was supposed to be wet and cold all day.  

The ferry crossing was uneventful, it was a big sucker!  We shared fish and chips as there was a cafeteria and ample seating.  It was good though I had to laugh at myself the tomatoes sauce aka ketchup was definitely different than Heinz!  We are back on the bus (they make you get off and ride in one of 2 floors, in addition to the cafeteria there is a bar, a children’s play area, and a dog area)  on out way to the hotel.  We have been warned that there may not be a working elevator.  Lord will the surprises never end?

Circus, Circus

Mushrooms and eggs accompanied by a croissant again for me this morning.  This may be my new guilty breakfast pleasure! 

We have been traveling in the mountains. Called “Ben” or “Munro” here depending on the height.  A Munro is above 3000 ft and named after the bloke (Sir Hugh Munro) who catalogued them in 1891.

We are on a single lane road much of the time,  which requires much patience and politeness.  

We had a very quick stop for a selfie at this cute phone booth,  Claire and I cheated and took each others photo. 

We stopped for a coffee and the Whistle Stop Cafe in Torridon, Claire and I shared a

Bakewell Cake raspberry filling with yellow cake and a light lemon icing.  

The scenery was lively and today the sun is shining!    

Inverewe gardens were lovely.  I saw many plant I had not seen before.  Others planted in such a way that made my heart sing

and yet others that gave me ideas for planting next year.  

There were California redwoods that are about 100 years old!

We made a couple of other photo op stops and finally ended up with a back of the hotel view and a shower that does not work at the Gairloch Hotel,  this hotel has been an absolutely nightmare. We arrived and were told that there were not 2 keys to the room. We then were efficiently checked in, Claire got undressed and tried to take a shower, and we could not get the shower to work, so she had to hid in the corner while I got the manager who said she would be up in a minute, we waited quite a while and finally the manager showed up, and said it would be a bit before the maintenance man could have a look at it because he was dressed in traditional Scottish garb and was busy with a performance. SO she finally got fed up with waiting in a towel. (Though i mush say the towels here are huge,) took a sink bath and got dressed. We went down and Claire asked for another room and the room she (the manager) gave us the key to was horrid, tiny, dark, and one bed did not ok like it was going to be comfortable for anyone. SO we went back to the desk and the lady at the desk and she said our options were to stay in the room with no shower (by now I had voided in the toilet while waiting) and a toilet that would not work, Keep the unacceptable room, or move to a different hotel and she would take us there and leave us. OR we could share a bed. So we tried to call “Stephen” and he did not answer the number he gave us day one. SO we went back to the desk to say we would share a bed if necessary and there was a Bloke there now who gave us a key to another room and off we went to see this room and Claire walked in on another couple who was in bed. (So I am sure they are thrilled).  The bloke came racing down the hall as he realized his mistake,  but the deed had been done At last we were given another key. Now we are both a wreck and have lost our free afternoon. AND not looking forward to dinner due to the embarrassment at walking on another couple on this trip. Honestly 

Dinner was actually ok, we sat across from the couple and they seemed less disturbed then Claire did.  Dinner was a very large glass of wine, (comped by the bloke) ham fried potatoes (that I am sorry to say just begged for Ketchup) and Carrotts. Followed by a lovely raspberry and frangipani tart and coffee!

I came back and had the hottest bath I think I could stand and tried to finish this blog, but some fotos are not coming through.