Cycling Exploits of an Antique Duo - Gilly & Sandy: Lerwick to Orkney

We cycled back to Lerwick and stayed in a fantastic hostel in the middle of the city. In the morning we took a Bird and Seal boat trip and went round Noss - thousands of Ganets and we were under the cliffs - a fantastic trip. Interesting to see the Skewers chasing the Ganets to regurgitate their fish. Seals on the back of the boat, our guide throwing mackrel beside our boat and the Ganets diving 2 feet from us. A great trip - well worth the money.

Just before catching the ferry from Lerwick we met the 'Pie Family' and the first thing Mrs Pie said was 'there's a great Fish n Chippy just round the corner'. Mmmm. Our man from the campsite who had been there for 65 days was on the ferry with all his worldly goods in a rucksack 'too much kit' he said 'I must downsize'. I thought I was minimalstic but I am not sure I can match him.

Orkney is a less harsh environment and less spread community then Shetland however regetable the weather has not much improved. On Tuesday morning we set off early to catch the 1000 ferry to Hoy. A hilly but pleasant ride and we met up with the enthusiastic Jude from the Scappa Flow Museum who escorted us on a 2 hour walking tour of the Naval Base used during the wars. Lyness was the home to 12000 sailors and many more army folk looking after the Fleet. Pat's grandfather was CinC Orkney and Shetland during the war and would have had alot to do with them. We headed north to cycle to the northern ferry and stopped off at Emily's Tea Rooms - just as we were going in a couple of cyclists were passing - she shouted 'tea and cake' he said 'we have no time we need to catch the ferry and get a cuppa there'. She said'for fxxxs sake' and a domestic started. We did not interfer but we knew there was no cafe at the terminal. On Wednesday on Westray - one of the northern islands we met them again and had a good laugh over their domestic. It transpired that they were teachers and asked us lots of questions about cycling, as they were relatively new to touring but - they were facinated about Pat's african heritage and knowledge, then about our many tours and then about my Himalayan stuff. They left us in awe thinking they had a boring life.

We left Hoy over to Stromness (great little town) and got back to Kirkwall and our little lodge late evening. Wednesday we caught the ferry to Westray, an lovely Island, 600 souls, salmon farming, crab processing and sheep farming. We stopped for coffee near the ferry, run by a mancunian guy, now married to a local. He was called away as most folk have a number of jobs and he was a fireman. Enter his wife - boy she could talk for Orkney - she made my brain hurt, I said to Pat 'we should go' he said ' the ferry is not due for an hour'. The wife started on oil heating then air to air heating, then air to ground heating, then ground to ground heating - my eyes glazed over and lost the will to live. "time to stretch my legs' I said to Pat - he agreed - yeah - we escaped.

Today we have cycled south onto Ronaldsay to Pat's friens Rosemary and Nick. We came over the Churchill Barriers constructed to protect the Fleet from submarine attack - to lat for HMS Roay Oak which is now a war grave on the seabed of Scappa Flow. We stopped at the Italian Chapple where there was anotherc clue on our cycle quest. After cycling into 25 knots of southerly wind all day it was great to get to Rosemary's and Nicks. We are now showered and our clothes are churning away in the washing machine and a glass of red in by my keyboard. Life all of a sudden is very pleasant.

We are back to Kirkwall tomorrow and a ferry to Aberdeen. All is well.