“To travel is to live” is a one of my favourite quotes from Hans Christian Andersen.
It is quite apt for me this past weekend as I have travelled to the most northerly islands in the UK, the Shetlands, to attend a wedding of a great friend. What an amazing time we had!
It started out by forgetting which terminal I was flying from in Manchester, not a good start, having to hot foot it back a terminal as I had missed it on the bus, joined a queue of about 80 people to check my bag in, then realised that actually I should have been at the empty desk next to it, getting searched at security, losing my phone in Boots ( yes it was in my hand all the time) I was ready to board.
I flew Loganair, which was amazing: very small planes. The first flight took me to Inverness on a 49 seater. We flew over Cumbria and I could make out the coast where my caravan is and the Lakes themselves.
Arriving in Inverness I followed the masses ( well about 20 others) and found myself back outside the airport and had to go back through security again. Apparently I should have made myself known to ground staff who would have snuck me in to departures. I panicked as no Sumburgh was on departures, noone told me we were going to Kirkwall, another up and down! My onward travel (eventually to Sumburgh) was in a 33 seater, propelled plane. The air hostess was a wonderful smiley lady of a certain age, totally clad in red tartan, enormous pearls around her neck and ears. On each flight we were offered a brew or juice and choice of a Tunnocks wafer or shortbread. Arriving in Sumburgh I knew I had only 10 minutes to catch the last bus to Lerwick. Anyway no worries, as about 10 suitcases duly arrived on the minature carousel, one of which was fortunately mine. I picked it up and ran to the bus and I travelled an hour north through amazing countryside. The bus stopped literally 30 yards from my guesthouse, so I got out and my friend Anthony met me. After a struggle to learn how to lock the door, we went out looking for fish and chips. By now it was almost 10 pm, however, we were pointed in the right direction and found the chip shop easily. Unfortunately I think the haddock, (although a beautiful size) had been ready since I left Inverness. It did not taste anywhere as good as it looked.
Move on to the following morning, as I brushed my teeth, I gently leant on the wash basin, only to watch it begin to come away from the wall. I grabbed hold of it and had a major panic – what to do?
Drop it so that the water sprayed everywhere including into my suitcase for the week?
Stand there and shout, my phone was at the other end of the room ?
As an ex girl guide of course I choose a full body stretch across to the dressing table where there was a hard chair, drag it back and manage to wedge it underneath the wash basin, phew!!
This enabled me to dine out on this story all weekend and will do when I return home. It has all ended well, as 4 nights later I returned to the same guest house, to the same bedroom, to find a brand new washbasin there. Apparently they had had a new carpet, took the basin surround away and were told that it would be ok…obviously not!
My blogs of other Shetland adventures will follow. Things can only get better!!!
Rambling With Ruthie 