Sat, May 11
Before I even begin to describe our third trip to Orkney a year ago, let me just say that here we are in month three of the Covid-19 era and I am pretending to write this as a day to day, contemporary account while our lives go on in semi-isolation, immersed in social distancing, sanitizers and masks. Strange it is to be describing our “normal” life, pre-virus, as if it were a pattern that would go on forever–at least as long as we are still able to travel without oxygen tanks, canes, and “Help me, I can’t get up!” buttons! Thank goodness Jen is still young and more than happy to be the driver. The rest of us have been deemed too old for car rental in the UK but despite that we are planning a fourth trip in May 2021, Covid permitting! Okay, so here’s our second day…
Button-Ben is quite a lovely B&B right near the water, the day is warm, the hosts are congenial and the breakfast is more than generous. I have oatmeal, toast and jam, smoked salmon and poached eggs on bannocks. There has been no email from Roncari’s and although I consider trying to pick up a cheap camera somewhere, it does occur to me that my Kindle might suffice though the camera is not a good one.
We are anxious to begin our day so with Jen at the helm of our Tepec we drive first to Fursbreck Pottery in Harray to visit with our potter friend Andrew Appleby. He tells us that he had planned to retire from his business but then discovered he would miss the shop. He’s been busy since we were last here writing a couple more volumes of his “Skara” as he describes them Neolithic noir novels. Jen and Jill buy new mugs in preparation for tomorrow’s breakfast. www.orkneypottery.co.uk
We still have several hours before we can move into our cottage so we head next to Kirkwall where we revisit all our favorite shops, purchase nearly identical wellies, and predictably end up at Judith Glue’s for lunch. From there we head to Tesco to stock up on all the food we will need the first few days and midafternoon we arrive at number 10 South End. This is the poshest yet! We each have our own en suite bedroom. The living room, on the second floor, is equipped with reclining leather couches and armchairs, though no basket of yarn and knitting needles! My bedroom has a wonderful sign saying: In the event of an emergency pull this dresser out and remove the panel behind it, then exit into the adjoining building–or words to that effect.
At Tesco we had bought a precooked chicken which Lynn and Jen turn into a delicious chicken salad. After dinner Jen, Lynn and I walked the entire length of the main street–South End, Alfred, Dundas, Victoria, and Ferry Rd–to buy milk at the Co-op. We rounded out our first cottage day with a couple games of Spite & Malice, a bit of knitting and a episode of Tiny House living before turning in for the night.
