Travel to the British Isles

We took a seven hour train ride from Oslo to Bergen, Norway, boarded our ship and stayed in the Bergen Harbor overnight and the next day. It was a beautiful day with sunshine and outstanding views. We were told we were fortunate to have such a nice day. Lots of rain in Bergen!

Shetland Islands

We next visited Shetland Islands. Another lovely place with old buildings, fishing villages, and Shetland ponies! We were told they are very strong in spite of their size. The Shetland Islands were established by Vikings and once was part of Norway.

Edinburgh, Scotland

We enjoyed our day in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. The weather cooperated too. What can I say? It is a beautiful city. After strolling the Royal Mile, walking through numerous souvenir shops, admiring buildings, we learned more about Robert Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Sir Walter Scott, famous authors. One sad observance I made: church buildings that were turned into cafes and coffee houses or a climbing gym. We were told only 32% of the population of Scotland affiliate with any Christian religion. Forty-some percent of the population claimed no religion.

One serving of Haddock. Glad we ordered one!

After walking through the city, we were hungry and wanted just a little snack. We ducked into a “Traditional English Fish and Chips” restaurant. They were delicious. Glad we ordered only one serving.

Orkney Islands, Scotland

We arrived at Orkney Islands in very northern Scotland. Not quite as far north as the Shetland Islands. The population in all of these 70 islands number around 22,000 people. Beautiful landscapes in this remote area.

We are quite far north. Today we are at the same latitude as is Greenland. The scenery is beautiful. Homes in this remote area are made of stone, called crofts. The newer ones are stucco and rarely of wood.

This afternoon we are sailing toward The Highlands to visit a small town–Ullapool– one of the most remote in the United Kingdom.

At last, after three jet-lagged nights, we are sleeping peacefully all night. Sleep is a gift.

I wondered if we’d meet someone on the ship we knew and yesterday, that happened! I spied a friend from my church youth group. It is indeed a small, small world.

I hope you enjoy reading about our travels as much I like to share with you. Next week, we’ll see much more: Belfast, Dublin, Liverpool, Snowdonia! Jim is excited to visit the city of his mother’s birth: Dublin. Until next week!