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| Orkney Orchid |
The clouds were still low over the hills in the morning, and we had no great ambitions for the day, only needing to get back to Kirkwall to take the ferry at 11:15pm, so we had a leisurely breakfast admiring the misty view from the conservatory. Breakfast included the best porridge, served with stewed apple, that we had on the whole trip. We stayed in the B&B reading books and guides until 10:30am. It was an easy 20 mile ride back to Kirkwall. The highlight was spotting an Orkney Orchid by the road. The route back went past the ferry terminal, two miles out of town, so we stopped by to check it out.
Back in Kirkwall, the Shore Hotel kindly let us leave the tandem safely in their courtyard, while we wandered around the town some more. We had heard from many locals the past couple of days that 3 cruise ships with 5000 people were expected today, much more than the island usually deals with. Kirkwall was certainly much fuller of people, giving it a more lively feel. We had a pleasant coffee and cake break in the Reel Coffee and Music, slightly off the main street so not overcrowded with the cruise visitors. We visited the Town Hall and Museum where the Stanley Cursiter art show was showing, and indeed enjoyed the paintings, some of local scenes such as the cathedral, some portraits, and others more abstract. I listened to a school fiddle orchestra presenting a concert of Scottish music in the Town Hall, while Lynn went to look at a wool shop, where she ended up buying 2 kilos of undyed local wool to make Arran style sweaters. The spools were quite bulky, so it was a good thing we only had to carry them 2 miles on the bike back to the ferry terminal.
We filled time at the public library using the internet and reading newspapers and guides, and then had a slow dinner back at the Shore Hotel (haddock/tomato and cheese tart). At 9:30pm when the light was beginning to fade we cycled out to the ferry terminal. The overnight ferry to Aberdeen turned out to be surprisingly comfortable. The sea was so smooth, it was impossible to tell the ship was moving, and we had a restful night.
Elevation
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