LIVE from Jewel May 15, 2024 - 27 nights

[davidrlewis2302]

Shetland… my home!  Enjoy. Always nice to get the perspective of visitors to the isles. 

[twangster]

Tender port but with a ship excursion it's the same drill as yesterday meeting in the theater at 8;30am.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lerwick is the top port in Britain.  

 

[twangster]

On the bus ride to the Mousa Island ferry we saw Shetland ponies, lots of sheep and lambs and our guide provided a lot of color into the seedy background of Lerwick which was intentionally burned to the ground twice.

 

That was some time ago and modern Lerwick is a much better place.

 

Stunning weather again today.

 

 

 

 

 

[twangster]

Mousa Island is a short 10 minute ferry ride.

 

 

 

 

Our guides today at a 60°N latitude marker.

 

 

Our first stop is the Broch of Mousa that is estimated to be between 2,000 amd 2,500 years old.

 

 

 

Standing nearly 30m high we will climb it later.

 

 

An Eider.

 

 

 

Oystercatcher.

 

 

The seals were stalking us much of the day.  Very curious creatures.

 

 

 

 

 

[twangster]

No one is certain what the purpose of the Broch was and there nearly 500 of them spread across Scotland.  

 

 

The railing and screens are more recent additions for safety and to keep birds out.

 

 

The stairs to the top are within the walls.  

 

 

Great views from the top.

 

 

 

 

 

 

An old Shetland Croft from more than a century ago when people lived on Mousa.

 

 

 

[twangster]

We were given the option for a longer walk around the island or to return the direction we came.  

 

I chose the extended walk about.

 

 

 

 

Some sheep's wool that has fallen off.  There is a gaelic name for this which escapes me right now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[twangster]

 

 

Could you imagine how much work it was to build these stone fences by hand?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even on the other side of the island another curios seal is checking us out.

 

 

[twangster]

Some Shags or Cormorants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another Oystercatcher.

 

 

[twangster]

After just over two hours we are back where we began.

 

 

Darren who works on the ferry shows us a sea urchin he plucked from the water.

 

 

 

Darren's father drives the boat and his daughter was the young guide pictured earlier.  It's a family affair.

 

 

With our departure from the island we can see other visitors checking out the Broch.

 

 

 

[twangster]

The bus ride back to Lerwick provided more narration to feed our minds with facts about the Shetland Islands.

 

 

It's a Sunday so many shops are closed.

 

 

 

 

I did find a Fish and Chips restaurant open.

 

 

Yum.

 

 

 

 

[twangster]

Short tender ride back to the ship.

 

 

 

 

 

[twangster]

One hour time change tonight.  Moving back in time.  

[island lady]

OMG Twangster!  What a great day you had.  Sooo cool!  Thanks for sharing!  🥰

[Kellie in Texas]

@twangster your pictures are just stunning! All of them -- ship, water, scenery, flowers, critters. Just beautiful. We're on Jewel next January when she's in Galveston so I love seeing the ship photos. We've been on Serenade twice and love the Radiance class. 

P.S. Shetland is one of our favorite TV shows (on Acorn or Britbox, I forget which). The Shetland residents may think it's unrealistic, I dunno, but the scenery in the TV show has put it on our bucket list. 

Edited May 19 by Kellie in Texas

[davidrlewis2302]

7 minutes ago, Kellie in Texas said:

@twangster your pictures are just stunning! All of them -- ship, water, scenery, flowers, critters. Just beautiful. We're on Jewel next January when she's in Galveston so I love seeing the ship photos. We've been on Serenade twice and love the Radiance class. 

P.S. Shetland is one of our favorite TV shows (on Acorn or Britbox, I forget which). The Shetland residents may think it's unrealistic, I dunno, but the scenery in the TV show has put it on our bucket list. 

it’s unrealistic in the sense there is very little crime. And there’s some continuity issues. But the scenery, the scenery is all as you see*, so from a tourists perspective, you’ll love it. 
 

* some scenes filmed in Greenock near Glasgow - but none of the clearly island scenes!

[twangster]

14 minutes ago, Kellie in Texas said:

@twangster your pictures are just stunning! All of them -- ship, water, scenery, flowers, critters. Just beautiful. We're on Jewel next January when she's in Galveston so I love seeing the ship photos. We've been on Serenade twice and love the Radiance class. 

P.S. Shetland is one of our favorite TV shows (on Acorn or Britbox, I forget which). The Shetland residents may think it's unrealistic, I dunno, but the scenery in the TV show has put it on our bucket list. 

Our guide made a few references to the show today on the bus ride.  I may need to check it out now.  
 

It’s beautiful here.  Highly recommend you make the effort to visit.  Great people too.  
 

 

Edited May 19 by twangster

[bobmacliberty]

@twangster - Looking around Lerwick on Google Maps, I found the Lerwick Brewery.  Did you perhaps get a chance to sample some of the local beer?

[twangster]

54 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

@twangster - Looking around Lerwick on Google Maps, I found the Lerwick Brewery.  Did you perhaps get a chance to sample some of the local beer?

I did not.  Guide said it was too far to walk, out of town sort of thing.  

[twangster]

Watch tracking data.

 

The route down to Mousa;

 

 

The walk around Mousa (forgot to start watch at the beginning)

 

Walking around Lerwick.  

 

[RFerrington]

Is that Mr Strippy or Mr Strypee ?  Sounds like an interesting spot.

 

😜🥴

[shorehaven]

Mr Stripey is actually an ice cream van.

[maggieq]

On 5/16/2024 at 9:44 AM, mac_tlc said:

Great itinerary. We did the Jewel out of Amsterdam to the fjords last year. A very memorable experience. Had an aft balcony. Wonderful views. Hope your fjord weather is like ours—- it was 84 degrees in Flam. 
 

 

mac_tlc

@mac_tlc we are on the next cruise and I remember your amazing live last year.  Forgetting if you posted your experience with departing Schiphol   If not, can you advise any tips on navigating process?  Thanks!

[twangster]

Our departure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

No interesting sea life tonight.

[twangster]

Our guide made reference to one of the largest onshore wind turbine farms anywhere that should be coming online shortly.  

 

I wonder if this it it?

 

 

[twangster]

Clearing the northern extremes of the Shetland Islands we begin or turn towards Iceland.