Return to Aberdeen by way of THE HIGH SEAS

Farewell, Lerwick!

We boarded the Hrossey around 15:30 local time, and found our cabin (very near the bow of the ship) neat and tidy, with plenty of amenities that our pod-lounge had lacked -- including our own bathroom and a nice set of outlets to charge out devices.  Overconfident that everything would be just as delightful as it was 48 hours earlier when we'd come north, we made excited plans about what we might get for dinner as we went up to the viewing deck and watched Lerwick slip away off the boat's starboard side. 

These people have not looked at a sea conditions report

It's a beautiful town and the weather was brisk, mostly clear along the Shetland coast, so we lingered in the heavy wind and enjoyed the bracing air while it lasted, then headed below deck as it looked like there might be spot of light rain.

Our cabin had come with drink vouchers, and so we grabbed a couple of Brew Dog's excellent Black Heart, the stout Rachel had discovered on our trip north, excited to settle in and finish Master and Commander, a ridiculous movie we'd started a couple of days before and decided to break into segments.  As we were ordering our drinks we found ourselves swaying on our feet, as Hrossey got past the Sumburgh lighthouse we'd visited earlier and into the wider open water between Shetland and Orkney.

By the time we reached our cabin we were laughing to each other about how funny it felt to careen down a hallway so awkwardly, but we made it to our cabin and settled in to watch our movie.

We found this hallway's temporary gyrations very amusing. We were fools.

With two beers, two empty stomachs, and a movie about British and French frigates chasing each other in the dangerous, storm-tossed seas off the horn of South America.

We did not finish the movie, or our beers.

We skipped dinner entirely.

We did eventually manage to make it into our bunk beds and sleep, fitfully, and I awoke as the seas calmed when we approached Orkney around 23:00.  I staggered up to the bar and prevailed upon them for a panini and a Cider because I suspected that if my stomach remained that empty the resultant hunger stomachache would make the illness worse.  This proved true, I think, as I felt better once I had eaten and had a drink, and managed additional fitful sleep until morning.

I managed to snag breakfast for myself and toast for Rachel, who was still feeling very nauseated, and we recovered Nell, ourselves in much worse condition than we'd been 15 hours earlier when we'd left her.

We departed Aberdeen haggard, and with a drive before us that would end in another--much more sedate, and much shorter--boatride, but one with a remarkable twist.

Next stop, the Falkirk wheel.