Anniversary Adventures

 Although we forget our wedding anniversary more often than not, this was one of the years we both remembered in good time. We thought we might go to Flotta as we've never been and the clock is now ticking, slowly but inevitably, and if we want to visit the rest of the inhabited islands in Orkney that we haven't yet made it to, then we need to get on and tick those boxes. 

The weather forecast for the day itself was not good so instead of going to Flotta that day we booked to go the day afterwards instead and in an unusual Fit of Frivolity went out to our local hotel for lunch on the actual day. We had fish and chips to start with and then dessert. There is little point in taking pictures of fish and chips, but dessert was another matter.

Mine's the sticky toffee pudding and the ice cream is the OH's. 

Thursday we took off for Flotta. It's a small island and the weather was supposed to be good so we had decided not to take the car, just walk. I dithered between a jumper in case it got chilly in the afternoon and my anorak in case it rained. Decided on the anorak. Naturally it didn't rain. We had a picnic and a map and we were all set. 

It all started well. We got off the ferry and walked around the west coast of the island. At some point we sat down and took some photos. Since Flotta is right in the middle of Scapa Flow Harbour there are spectacular views of many of the other islands. We had our picnic and resumed our walk. The day wore on and the sun got hotter. The land started to go a lot more uphill a lot more often than I was comfortable with. And them suddenly I was just in a state; running a temperature, nauseous, breathless, and slightly disoriented.  We were about two thirds of the way round, we had a deadline to catch the ferry and I couldn't manage walking uphill longer than about two minutes without stopping. I did a but better on the flat but basically I had had too much sun and I was suffering. 

We staggered on, constantly checking Google directions for a comparison of how much further there was to go, and how much time it was going to  take against the available time to get to the ferry terminal. With something just under a mile to go and 30 minutes to do it  in, it was looking good. Except that I just couldn't walk. Not properly anyway. I could just about put one foot in front of the other and not feel sick for about five strides at a time. 

We were saved by the  appearance of a car which the OH flagged down. The couple inside it couldn't; have been kinder. They gave me a bottle of water, and took us to the ferry terminal and settled me down inside the waiting room and opened the windows and checked we would be OK before driving off. I staggered onto the ferry and slept all the way back to mainland Orkney (via Hoy - it's a circular route), staggered to the car feeling infinitesimally better, slept all the way home in the car and staggered to bed as soon as we got back. I did very very little yesterday. 

Until I felt too ill to bother I did take some photos of which the following are a selection

Lessons Learned. 

1 Next time the OH says 'it's a small island, let's not bother taking the car' insist that we do.

2 Always take a hat.

3. Always take a bottle of water. 

4 Do not overestimate your lung's capacity for walking uphill.