Sunday

The young ones are off on the Tingwall ferry to Rousay and a cycle round the island. The wind today in Stromness is half as fierce as it was yesterday so hopefully they won’t be blown out into the North Sea.
I met them on their way as I was walking to the slip for my Sunday swim with the Selkies. The sea at the slip  was quite calm sheltered by the Ness promontory and it was a lovely swim. It’s amazing how in 4 weeks the water temperature has risen.

It’s a wonderfully warm sunny day. I had an outdoor coffee at Julia’s watching the Hamnavoe arrive to deposit the latest clutch of tourists. Because it is a Sunday and I don’t think there is a visiting cruise ship in Kirkwall today, most of the Stromness shops are shut. I was collared on my way for coffee by an old resident who was minded to give me a run down on the shops that used to exist at my end of the Street which included the ‘Peedie Coffee shop’ about 100yds from the flat- my Söderberg of yester  year.

I didn’t feel any urge to take any exercise when there was the garden and the sea lapping on the other side of the wall. It’s a welcome change from my patio at home and the waves of humanity on the other side of the railings. I was happily employed with my photos, my book and my music playlist.

The young ones and I are eating in Lucano’s tonight , an Italian Restaurant in Kirkwall. On advice from a Selkie I have booked a table. The meal in the Ferry Inn  was so magnificent that I have not felt the urge to eat anything more than an Anzac biscuit and some walnuts, hardly a balanced diet but yesterday’s meal had enough calories in it to last a week- yes it was this year’s token plate of  fish and chips, despite the wealth of other choices.

The harbour as usual yielded a wealth of photos but the one in my extra  jolted me for a moment.