Getting home

After two weeks of thoroughly relaxing family time and catching up with old friends leaving Shetland turned out to be harder than expected. Literally. It's always a wrench when it comes to getting back on the plane and saying goodbye for another year, but this time the islands were fog bound due to a thick sea haa, no flights in, no flights out and now I'm on the ferry. The ferry is an overnight business, full to capacity, and has a poor selection of seasick remedies. We're lucky to have cinema seats for the night to try and sleep in.

On the plus side dinner was very acceptable fish and chips. I think we might still be passing the coast of Shetland as I write this (based on the bonxie fighting a gannet outside the window) but the thick fog makes it impossible to tell. It's a disorientating experience, even more so because our last official day in Shetland was so glorious we spent the best part of an hour swimming in the sea....

.... Up at 4am, because though reclining seats reasonably comfortable, the boat is desperately stuffy, a man just out of kicking (gently) reach is snoring and everybody keeps slamming doors. The ferry isn't bad but it's not the most comfortable way to spend 12 hours. (We hate the ferry at this point.) 

Aberdeen is misty, when we finally dock (7am). It's the city I went to university in and have been meaning to visit again ever since. The docks however were not one of my haunts and as everything else is shrouded in mist it's basically all we see. I am very grateful to a) have a travelling companion, and b) that we're both determined to be calm and pleasant. Especially as our flight from Aberdeen is now, wait for it.... delayed. We would have had time to go exploring (though not very tempting with heavy suitcases).

There's not really much to complain about. Everyone has been pleasant and helpful (bar the snoring man), it's not exhaustingly hot or freezing cold, and there has been no extra cost. We are now very tired though, and I have to admit I'm clearly not a born traveller.

Book posts to follow shortly (just need to catch up on some sleep first).