Here I am - a couple of weeks removed from returning home from Orkney with the second half of my accompanying blog on lessons learned whilst there.
So let's finish this bad boy off and collect my last remaining thoughts (not ever but just on this particular subject...)
6. I’m not a fan of heights
To be fair I kind of knew this one going in but this just confirmed it. We ventured to the Brough of Birsay in the hope of seeing some puffins up close and personal. This required walking along a path that is perfectly safe and a good distance from the cliffs edge. As we ventured along this path I found myself gradually furthering myself from it away from the cliffs edge onto the ‘safety’ of the larger field on my right. I then watched in horror as my wife used the perfectly safe path along the cliff side whilst I played it cool gripping onto the grass on the ground. Got a lovely photo though.
7. The wildlife are as friendly as the people
I didn’t encounter one rude Orcadian on my visits. Never once did I have to use my car horn (that’s a miracle for me). Just as lovely as the people were the creatures we encountered. We got up close and personal with a sheep who was quite happy to be petted and strike a pose for us and randomly came across a falconry who allowed us both to hold Odin a stunning eagle owl. I’ve never held an owl before but was pleasantly surprised that he was quite content. Burrowing your hand under his feathers you’re met with toasty warmth and the shock of how dense they are. He weighed approx 1 Apollo. His much smaller friend Scara also didn’t mind a pet but seemed distracted by something in the distance…much like Mimi.
8. I fell in love with my RX100
I bought my Sony RX100 camera just before our wedding in October last year but never really spent any quality time with it. I decided to take it on this trip as the risk factor of taking one of my professional cameras mid wedding season was too risky. The wide aperture makes for some bokehlicious images along with a decent zoom to get a little closer to the action – and it all fit in my pocket. All photos on this blog were taken with this camera, sent wirelessly to my phone and graded in lightroom. A simple setup for holidays that I shall continue to use.
9. I Really Want to Film a Wedding There
I'll always find a way to bring it all back round to weddings - but hey it works for my websites SEO...They say the best things come in small packages and this couldn't be truer for one of the nicest chapels I've seen - The Little Italian Chapel which was built during World War 2 by Italian prisoners of war. The chapel itself is surrounded by stunning landscape making it the perfect backdrop for a nice intimate wedding. A wedding that I really want to film. So Orcadians and elopers alike - I'm looking at you - hit me up if you're looking for a wedding film. It's the perfect excuse to return.
10. I'm Deeply Dippy
I was struggling to find a number 10 for my list (top 9 things doesn't have the same ring to it) so I left it blank until today to see if I could think of anything. I'm glad I did. A strange occurrence has...erm...occurred since being home this past two weeks. I've became obsessed with the song 'Deeply Dippy' by Right Said Fred. I listen to it a couple of times every day and even took some time out to learn the words. So what has caused this phenomenon? Well it was one of the tunes that me and Kelly blasted on one of the many trips in the car we had. It now holds sentimental value and holds memories. It's nice when you can link music to memories and memories to people, people to moments and moments to memories. It's all interconnected. Well it's either that or I've just found an excuse to blast the ultimate feel good song. Damn that sax solo gets me every time.
So there we go - 10 things both big and small that I learned during and after my trip to Orkney. A place that I can really recommend visiting at least once in your life to soak up numerous experiences. I didn't even get time to mention the cheese. The cheese is worth a visit alone.
Yum.
Until next time.
Ali
Comments