From the Sublime to the Ridiculous!

 06-10-2022

It's been a REALLY long day!  I'll tell you all about it tomorrow (which is really almost today!

It's the morning of a new day and I can look back and yesterday with a smile!  It began with another lovely breakfast created by our host, Nickie, and a farewell chat before we loaded up the car and set off for a final cruise through the high street of Kirkwall. There are some lovely shops, but the cruise ship has vomited its passengers all over the town. We decide to split up, since staying together will be so difficult in the crowds, and meet back at the car.  We've lucked into a parking place right across the street from the St. Magnus Cathedral which was the one local sight we had left to tick off our list.  Each pair stops by The Third Sister, which is Nickie's wife's shop, and I return to Brig's Larder, as I'd promised the girl the night before.  Marilyn and Connie visit the jeweler she was looking for and we bump into them there. And we all wind up at the cathedral at about the same time.  It's made of that Old Red Sandstone that we've seen all over.  It began life as a Catholic church but during the Reformation is became Presbyterian and all the decorations were painted over.

This the second time we have seen a small poppy outside a cathedral.

You can see a lovely ruin across the street, too.

We've allowed time to return to the Waterside Bistro because it's the best food we've had in Scotland! We're a lot earlier than yesterday and worry about getting seated.  In fact, we do have to wait, but only for one table to clear out! The special sounds so good that ever though we're not super hungry, Ginger and I order one to share and Marilyn and Connie each get the soup special which is potato and spinach.  they declare it a hit! The big draw, though, is the dessert!  It looks rather like a trifle and has raspberries and cream and something crunchy, all in layers.  Marilyn gets a whole one and the rest of us order one of those, a lemon sponge with berries and a chocolate wonder topped with toasted coconut, so we can sample them all!  When they arrive there is also a brownie and, what the heck, we keep that, too!~

SO GOOD!!!

There is still some time before we have to catch the ferry for the mainland, so we drive out to the Brough of Birsay to see if it is low tide and we can cross to the lighthouse.  It's not, but it's still a pretty walk, while Marilyn and Connie relax in the car.

Back to the ferry and we finally find the entrance for the queue and presently we're on board with our dinner vouchers in hand.  Good thing we had such a great lunch at the bistro, because dinner is a bust.  Ginger and I have the burger.  Seems like that pretty safe.  Also pretty mediocre, and neither of us finish it.  Marilyn and Connie had the fried fish and it looks good.  We're all looking forward to the sticky toff pudding and have all ordered it.  The cute little girl who has been helping us returns with the news that there is only one left but they have cheese cake that sounds good.  Ginger gets the pudding and it is also mediocre and the cheese cake is even worse!  Oh well!  It's a good diet aid!

Off the ferry and onto the next stop which is several hours drive away!...MORE LATER!

Ruins are everywhere!

So many windmills in this farm.  At least 50!

Looks like the Sunshine Skyway!

Love George! Love this whisky (maybe because it's his favorite??)

The water left for us in our room.  The one on the right is sparkling
water, which is very popular here, and Connie's favorite.

It's later!!  It was quite a lengthy drive to Inverness but with sunset so late, it was still daylight when we arrived at 2 Ness, our apartment house.  But it's locked and we don't have the passcode and it's drizzling. Happily, a young man come out the door and we can enter;  but that's as far as we can get.  Our room will also require the code.  There is a lot of texting and phoning and message leaving but the upshot is that this place hasn't used Booking.com for a year and a half and they couldn't reach Marilyn to say that we didn't have a place to stay tonight! (That makes no sense, but never mind.  The result is the same.) The guy makes a couple of suggestions and Ginger and I go off to see what we can find in the way of accommodations.

We luck into a Raddison that can give us two rooms for two nights!  Thanks to the gods!! I stay to finish the paperwork with George, who is just adorable, and Ginger goes back to get the girls. George said he' help us with the bags (THERE"S A LIFT!!!) and I go outside to wait for them to bring the car.  There really issn't a parking place but I've found a sort of space and I'm standing in it. in the drizzle, so it doesn't disappear!

Finally the magic Toyota appears and Marilyn reluctantly pulls into the non-space I've been holding.,  We just take enough things out of the car to get us through the night and three of us go inside, leaving Marilyn with the car so it doesn't get towed!!  Connie takes her things and Marilyn's up to their room with the two beds.  I take Ginger's and mine to ours with the one bedd and then go downstairs to wait.  Ginger has gone out to the car to help Marilyn find the parking garage that George has recommended.  (We love this young man!) I've got keys to work the elevator, so I need to be here to get everyone sorted for the night!

We check out each other's places and find that Connie and Marilyn have a handicap-accessible room! I've never seen one before but it sure is cool for those in a wheelchair! Connie invites us all down to the bar for a drink.  She's treating!!

Guess what?  George is also the bartender!  He suggests hiss favorite Scotch and I'm game for that, he ha a second one that Ginger takes and Connie and Marilyn booth have Bailey's.  We play where are you from and I win because I guess George is Czech!  He says in all his years in hospitality only about five people have guessed correctly. We toast Brandy, Ginger's cousin whose passing she had just learned about. Connie is the only one who is awake enough for another round!

And it's time for bed!  WOOHOO!  We all have a bed and a roof over our heads!