A SUNNY DAY . . .and more wanderings

Can you guess which building is our B&B?

It's the one on the left- running water, indoor toilets, 

and a traditional Scottish breakfast with haggis. What

more could anyone want??!!

Orkney Islands - went to the main island, Orkney
and spent 2 days wandering.

                                                                  

Elder & Sister Miller, me and Sister Call at the Earl's Palace
dating back to the 1100's


Here are some places you don't want to miss if you

ever get to the Orkney Islands:

-The Earl's Palace (some of the best ruins ever!)

-St. Magnus Cathedral (now the Church of Scotland, Catholic)

buillt in the early 1100's. Magnus Eriendsson was the Earl of  

Orkney at the time, but was killed by order of his wicked 

cousin. It was said that miracles happened at his gravesite and

he was sainted and his bones dug up and reburied in the Cathedral.

We went back later that evening and enjoyed a choir performance.

-The Ring of Brogdar, Standing Stones. See pictures below. No

one knows for sure the significance of the circle of stones, but one

guess is that it was a religious ceremonial circle. Another guess is

that somehow they are aligned with the planets. Many standing

stones are found on the island. 

-Skara Brae, The story of Skara Brae makes fascinating reading.

 It is one of the earliest prehistoric sites in Scotland and was preserved 

through four millennia beneath the sand dunes. The settlement was

discovered in 1850 when a great storm battered the bay and blew away 

the sand to reveal a glimpse of what lay beneath the ground. Can you

imagine a place thousands of years before the birth of Christ!! See pictures 

below.                                                                                                 

   

    Another part of the circle - Standing Stones of Stenness

Skara Brae - village 3,ooo yrs BC--just unbelievable.
You can see lots of detail if you are there, like firepits, rock
formed sleeping beds. The houses are joined together
with a large room for family/friend mingling and form a circle. This village
is right on the cliffs overlooking the North Atlantic ocean.

Other sights to see:

The Italian Chapel - built by Italian prisoners of war during World War I

They got permission from their captors to build a church and they used 

anything they could find to build the chapel. Catholic services are held

there each Sunday.

The   Maeshowe chambered burial tomb. 
And much, much more!!

Last two pictures are the Italian Chapel & the Maeshowe Tomb-- we had to
practically crawl to enter the tomb. Our guide had a flashlight and was
able to point out the hieroglyphics on the walls. The four corners of the
tomb are 4 large standing stones.

       

Well, I hope you enjoyed the trip around the island, I wish I could have shared 

lots more, like driving on winding narrow rodes between houses and buildings

that had a clearance of about 1" on either side of the car, and have you be able to

hear the Orkney accent, which puts a whole new slant on the Scottish accent. And

shared some of the delicious seafood available on the island. Life is Good! On the

mission front, I never new missionaries worked so hard!! I don't know what

I'll do with myself when my mission ends. There is never a downtime at the office,

and that is how it is for all of us. We are strong supporters of our young missionaries

and love them to pieces. It is so hard when they leave us to go back home. Some 

we see more than others, but even on Orkney we have missionaries so we treated

them to a dinner out. We always tell them to pick a place that they can't afford to

go to. We attended church on the island. They had 10 members and it was a sweet

experience. They use a CD player for music, meet in a school and the branch 

president has been serving for 22 years! Isn't that amazing? The young missionaries

play a huge role in such a small ward. A woman who was baptized in the Edinburgh

ward now lives on the island and she cried when she saw the four of us walk in. I

had an opportunity to bare my testimony and share a couple of scriptures. And then,

the long trip home . . . .another wandering for the blog and planted in my memory

forever.

NOTE: Well mom, it's almost Mother's Day--so how is the best mother ever doing? I sure do miss you and can't wait for a reunion. We'll share some nutty donuts. You know our good friends, Bob and Mary Brady--well they are serving their 3rd mission and this time in Africa. I've been feeling wonderful except for a few kidney stones that are no funH. Somehow they always happen at night so I never have to miss the office. I plan to have a scan to see how many are there and if there are a bunch they will blast them and break them up. So I'll let you know how that turns out. I hope you're feeling good and still singing hymns. I love you a whole bunch and pray for you every night.

NOTE: Hey Reese--how's life treating you? Are you still enjoying VT? That must be a big change weather wise from living in NC. I'm loving my mission and I plan on making a trip to VT to see you three grandkids after my mission. I keep very busy and love the people here in Scotland & Ireland. Finally getting used to the accent. If you ever get a chance to get hold of a Book of Mormon please read it and let me know what you think. I am reading a little every day and can't begin to tell you how it has changed my life. It's a powerful tool to live by and I feel strongly that you will be affected by its message of our Savior Jesus Christ. I love you a whole bunch and sure hope you are doing well. grams