shetland - arrival

'do not worry about the fog' these words were coming from my kind (but inebriated) seatmate on the tiny aircraft scheduled to take off for sumburgh airport, shetland islands. 'we'll be diverted to norway if it gets too bad!'

luckily, i missed no flights or connections on my travels to the edge of the world. (i did suffer my share of not so good luck though, completely my own fault, more on that later). i'd already spent a couple of days in edinburgh, before jumping on the flight north (still need to share that city adventure too). we made it to shetland, without any mishaps or any detours to norway.  :)

mary jane and gudrun were there to pick us up, kathy cadigan and paula butzi and i had all taken the same flight from edinburgh. we drove straight to sumburgh lighthouse, and within an hour of taking our first steps on the island, we saw puffins.

the puffins live in little burrows, you can just make out here. i see two, can you see them? looking from above is maryjane, kathy, gudrun and paula.

there are three in this photo, one is just popping up from his burrow.

if i could, i would have stayed here all day and the next day too. i know now why puffins are so loved, they are every bit as charming and adorable as their portraits show. the way they tilt their little heads (they are much smaller than i'd thought!) and waddle around. and when they fly! it's hilarious, their wings beat madly and all the while their orange feet hang down. what a grand start to this adventure...

driving to burrastow house, where we'll be staying the week. everywhere in shetland is a picture postcard.
too beautiful for words and definitely for my camera.

our home for the next nine days

Burrastow House

in Walls, Shetland, built in 1759

my bedroom window. from here i could see...the water, the isle of vaila,

arctic terns, lambs, shetland ponies, bunnies. i know i am writing,

but honestly there are no words. it was a fairytale come true...

i could not wait to explore more...

soon after this photo, several of us donned our swimsuits and dove in the the voe of vaila (the water between the islands). it was cold, but really had to be done. :)

there is so much to share, i still don't know where to begin, our group was extraordinary, so lovely, really so talented and beautiful and kind and inspiring! and fun! each and everyone. and then there were the friends i'd come to know previously online (hello claire, nicole, kathy. truly gorgeous women inside and out). i did fill my journal, though that was difficult to find time for, we did wear our bressays! and  i think its safe to say we all experienced SO MUCH, and for me, so much more than i ever dreamed. at the risk of sounding overboard, i had one of the best times of my life. thanking the most lovely (adorable) tour leaders ever, gudrun johnston and maryjane mucklestone, you were outstanding, i really did not want it to end.
next post, jamieson & smith and the Böd of Gremista and Shetland Textile Working Museum 

photo courtesy of gudrun/instagram

thank you for coming along!

xxx lori