A Girl With a Sword

island living

Hoy, Stromness, Maeshowe, St. Magnus, Scapa Flow. Took the ferry over to Orkney yesterday. It meant getting up at a time when most of my friends in the States hadn't even gone to bed, but I managed it. Here are some words from Orkney:

"Make your number twos your number one priority." --words of wisdom from the Orkney library loo. Actually on an NHS poster.

"Iron Age, Picts, Vikings upstairs" --The Orkney Museum (If only they really were. I've been here two weeks already and haven't seen a Viking yet.)

"Agnes 9 children boor unto hir mate. 6 ded befor ther sir by cruel fate." --tombstone from 1679 in St. Magnus Cathedral. Poor Agnes. Memento Mori.

"O Magnus of Fame
On the barque of the heros
On the crest of the waves
On the sea, on the land
Aid and preserve us.
Amen."

I went to two museums, so I felt quite at home. In the Stromness museum I learned the story of Eliza Fraser--Shipwrecked! Captured! Enslaved by Aboriginies! It was quite sensational, remind me to tell it sometime.

One of the best parts of the day was being suprised by standing stones while I was taking the bus across the island. I didn't think I was going to get to see any of the prehistoric stuff, then there was the Ring of Brodgar right out my window. It's rather eiree seeing standing stones, even on a sunny afternoon, almost too much like time travel.

In other news, last night we had Drambuie, a very smooth Scottish whiskey with strong hints of heather honey and nutmeg. It was amazing.

Posted by linnea at June 9, 2005 8:56 AM | TrackBack