shewhomust | A hot day on the island (Reply)

Today, for the first time since leaving home, we have had the sort of summer weather we left behind us: unbroken sunshine and actual heat. This is not what I come to Orkney for. We tried to make the most of it: and we did do and enjoy all the things which I set out to do today. But we didn't add in any spur of the minute extras, and we decided, sooner than I expected to, that what we really felt like was coming home and sitting on the patio with a glass of beer / lying down in a cool room. We have both since fallen asleep (I suspect that neither of us slept well last night, and blame the heat for that, too). That feeling which plagues holidays, that every last drop of enjoyment must be squeezed from every precious moment is stronger than usual, I fear, I have looked forward to this holiday so much for so long. Yet there are moments when I am doing nothing in particular, gazing at a prospect of sea and hills, or a field of buttercups, when I just sigh with happiness. Even now, with a glass of cold wine, talking to the world, is pretty good.

We went our separate ways this morning: D. wanted to visit the Brough of Birsay,

durham_rambler and I thought it was time to visit the Ring of Brodgar. Because - well, because:

durham_rambler addressed the two Rangers sunning themselves at the gate: "Greetings from one World Heritage Site to another!" and they took this well, and asked which WHS we were from, and told us to enjoy the Heart of Neolithic Orkney, which we did. We made a circuit inside the ring; we were not alone, but nor was it particularly busy, and I never found intruders impinging on the photograph I wanted to take. We discussed whether the stones had originally been positioned evenly around the circle: surely those two, as we looked down towards the Ness, were closer together? Leaving, we asked Ranger Eileen about this, and she confirmed that, unexpectedly, the stones where the causeways entered the circle were indeed closer together than the average. She told us that the stones originate from (at least) seven different sites across mainland, and that each group of stones face towards the place they come from. And that each community may have been responsible for erecting the stones they brought, because there are perceptible differences of technique. All of this delighted me.

We set off in search of lunch, or at least somewhere to sit down and something cold to drink. Outside the Birsay Bay Tea Rooms we found D. and

valydiarosada waiting for their takeaway sandwiches, as the tearoom itself was fully booked. After researching alternatives, and not finding any (the Barony Hotel say it's ten years since they have served lunch - not that this is relevant, they weren't serving lunch the day they nonetheless served soup and crab sandwiches to the two of us and

desperance) we ordered sandwiches for ourselves, too, and ate them at the picnic table in the sun.

After lunch, we visited the bookshop: mostly not cheap, collectable books and lots of Folio editions, but I found a couple of nice little hardbacks - Rumer Godden's The River and a Michael Arlen.

My altogether favourite gallery is Yellowbird Gallery, where Jon Thompson is now casting his bird sculptures in bronze, which rather removes them from my reach. I bought some cards, though, and we spoke sadly of his partner, Lesley Murdoch, who died two years ago: you can't claim as an old friend someone you see for maybe an hour once every five years or so - but we always fell into easy conversation when we met.

The Swanney Brewery was closed. So was the sourdough bakery in Evie. Then we drove round in circles for a bit, and then decided what we really wanted was to come home. So we did,pausing only to pick up a Guardian at the Co-op in Dounby.

And now we have sent

durham_rambler to the Co-op to forage for pizza, so I'd better clear the table.