47 Comments

Fascinating.

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Thanks, Vikki!

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Thank you! Good reminder of all the wonders in the world.

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I wonder what made the ancients decide to settle there. Perhaps the climate was better back then?

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Good question, Jim! No idea, except it was a stepping stone between Scotland and Norway.

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Och, good ride eh! I would've paid extra for that! I'm thinking the song 'Blow the Man Down' must have originated here?! Thanks for bringing us there Sharron!

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I am sure you would be right out there on the front deck lashed to a mast!

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That's right! 🌊

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Magnificent and mysterious place. We never dared to make the trip (ex wife No. 1 and yours truly) although we were offered an opportunity (hint: I get VIOLENTLY SEASICK).

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The little plane was smooth and quick. Well worth the adventure. Thanks AT.

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What a fantastic adventure! I'd love to have gone there but can see the ride over and the wind may be a deterrent to many weak-kneed tourists.

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Maybe a lot of travelers fly. It is just a short hop - but a little pricey. Thanks Linda.

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That was fun. My sister-in-laws uncle lived on Orkney, I think he was a researcher. And several years ago, I went to the Shetland islands as part of a cruise. So,a gentler trip, but a wonderful experience.

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I hope my little story brought back memories, Janice. I am not aware of how many archeological sites there are on Shetland but there sure are a lot of sea birds!

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And Shetland ponies.

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Don’t touch the stones!🗿

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Hey! When you are looking for adventure, you touch every one of them looking for the one that hums.

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Whoa, rough seas! The plane ride back seems a good idea. What a neat story and past.

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Thanks, James Ron! It was an unforgettable trip. I look back and laugh. But the ferry wasn't that funny in the moment.

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What an exciting trip. Just watching those ferry videos made me squeezy!

Did the winds buffet the small plane as well?

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Me too, my stomach lurched watching the ship bob up and down. The little plane was smooth and easy the day I returned.

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Leaves on a pond )) Rock houses ok, water not ok, blasting wind not ok.

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Got it!

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What a beautiful trip you took us on. Your words made it real.

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Oh thanks, Wade. I hope it didn't make you sea sick!

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Thanks for sharing the history! I have Nordic blood as well, and found the information and photos informative and will likely follow up with more study.

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There is so much to read on line about each site on Orkney. It will make you want to pack your bag and get out the door.

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Who lived on island pre 3000 BCE?

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I would imagine Orkney was peopled with Neolithic farmers, who made and used tools, created pottery, raised animals. ( No longer hunters and gatherers)

Or... they could have been extra-terrestrials... who knows?

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The people part of mythology of underground tombs, megalithic structures all over Europe. So many questions yet to be answered. Myths, are based on truth. Structures all over world. I thought you had the answers.

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Ha ha ha! No answers here. Just questions.

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Megalithic mysteries.

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I was drawn into your adventure, forgetting everything around me. What a fabulous (and frightening) trip. To brave the elements, and find your ancestor’s world. You are braver than I! Fascinating!

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Brave .... or foolish! ha ha ha. I had no idea what the ferry would be like. It was one of my more adventurous trips.

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I like the way you immerse yourself in your destinations, wherever in the world you may be. Most of the travel writing I've been reading lately focuses on food and all the standard landmarks and attractions. I like to read about these lesser-known, history-rich, destinations. Well done, as usual, Sharron.

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Thanks Jim, for saying that. In travel writing, I attempt to evoke a feeling of PLACE, more than anything - the sound, the feel, and my emotional reaction to it. I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity for all these solo adventures over forty years of my life. I hang on to the memories like treasure.

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I loved this tour of Orkney. What a wild place to live, but they were tough, wild people, the Norse. Good Danish stock like you and me. One question: how many times can a person throw up in three hours? You earned those wings back to Inverness.

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Hah! I refuse to answer that question, based on the grounds it might make me seem like a real lacy-pants wimp.

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