Planes, Trains, Boats, and Automobiles!

  Shetland Islands (Lerwick) ,  Scotland  ~  Thursday, June 30 The Shetland Islands are a subarctic archipelago in the Northern Atlantic, located between Great Britain, the Faroe Islands, and Norway.  They are the northernmost part of the United Kingdom, and they lie 1 °  west of the Prime Meridian.  They are probably best known for the Shetland pony, although there is a sheepdog known as the Shetland sheepdog as well.  We also discovered that there is a special breed of sheep called the Shetland Sheep. Lerwick, our port, is Shetland's only town, with a population of about 7,500.  Most people on the island live within 10 miles of Lerwick.  It was founded as an unofficial marketplace to service 17th century Dutch herring fleets.  The name of the town is derived from the Scottish words for "muddy bay" (Leir Wick).   We set our alarm to ensure time for breakfast and headed down to the World Cafe, where I enjoyed coffee and Je...

  Wednesday, June 29, 2022 ~ Orkney Islands According to Wikipedia, Orkney, which is also known as the Orkney Islands is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland.  It is located off the north coast of Great Britain and has about 70 islands - 20 of which are inhabited.  The local people are known as Orcadians.  The "Heart of Neolithic Orkney" is designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Breakfast is only served until 9:30 a.m. - unless you travel up to Mamsen's, named for the Viking Chairman's mother, which serves family recipes throughout the day, and is a great little place for grabbing a snack at odd times of the day or evening.  Jeff has enjoyed Mamsen's waffles as a breakfast treat on a couple of occasions.  This morning we were up early enough to head to the World Cafe, where I enjoyed their very excellent coffee, and Jeff enjoyed his eggs, fruit, and sweet roll. One of the interesting things to observe on the ship involves the processes of g...