Zandvoort aan Zee & Amsterdam

Pre trip visit to the Vermeer exhibition in Amsterdam.
Vermeer

Vermeer 2

Vermeer 3

Lille (Rijsel)

316 bus from Home to Leuven.
Train Leuven to Ghent St. Peters
Train Ghent to Kortrijk (Courtrai)
Train Kortrijk to Lille Flandres
Hotel Chagnot, Lille https://www.booking.com/Share-NUu1RF (Cheryl)
ALäs mer
Penzance, Newlyn, and Mousehole

9:30 Eurostar Lille to London St. Pancras, and yes, I did book seat 61.
Arrived at St. Pancras in good time for a full English at Weathespoons. Then the gods of transport struck. Got to Farringdon toLäs mer
St. Michael's Mount, St. Ives

Lovely start to the day but then weather rapidly downhill. Walked into Penzance but then abandoned any other walks for the day.
Took bus to St. Michael's Mount, but tide is in and the sea is too roughLäs mer
St. Ives, Land's End

After the Hepworth museum visited Tate St. Ives which was also hosting a temporary Hepworth exhibition.
Then followed a two and a half hour trip again on the open topped double decker. The road wasLäs mer
Plymouth to Glasgow

The reason I overnighted in Plymouth instead of staying in Penzance? I got up at 7:45 and had a delicious Full English before catching the 9:27 instead of having to get up at 6 am and rush off toLäs mer
To the Isle of Skye

8:21 train from Glasgow Queen Street to Mallaig to catch the ferry to Skye. An old 4 coach train with only 2nd class seating for a 5 hour ride ☹️
Supposed to be a trolley but only came throughLäs mer
Skye to North Uist, and back

What a great day! Woke up at 7:45 with only a vague idea of catching busses round the island. The 8:30 to Uig is the first to go so I hope on it. The driver asks me if I'm going to catch the ferry. ALäs mer
Kyleakin

Kyle of Lochalsh to Wick

A 5 bed dorm all to myself, and the bus goes at 10. So the luxury of a good proper shower and clean up. Plus rearrange my bag. Looking forward to laundry on Shetland.
Bus takes 5 minutes to cross theLäs mer
Wick, John o'Groats

Here I make my first discovery. There are no busses to John o'Groats on Sundays. After reviewing the alternatives (none) decide to hitch.
Book a 7:30 breakfast and hit the road at 8. There is a TescoLäs mer
To Kirkwall, Orkney

The 1 hour crossing is smooth as silk and soon I'm in St. Margaret's Hope. There's 50 minutes wait for the bus, but luckily a pub.
Bus to Kirkwall and find hostel which is about 1 km out of town.
DumpLäs mer
Orkney

Up early and off to see the sights which mostly lie on the X1 bus route. First off the Italian Chapel. Get there before it opens. Opens after 5 minutes and I have the place to myself. Back on the X1Läs mer
Orkney 2

,walk long way back to road and take bus to Stromness, but not impressed and head back to hostel.
Disappointed about Maeshowe and the fact there is no public transport to Skara Brae!
In the hostelLäs mer
Orkney to Shetland

Very impressed with Skara Brae. 5000 years old! Get lift to Stromness with same people and take X1 back to Kirkwall. Have a look round St. Mangus Cathedral and back to hostel to wait for 11 pm ferry.
Shetland

The sailing from Orkney to Shetland is as smooth as silk. I find my chair put on my eye mask and away to sleep. Wake up at 6 in time for breakfast. Get off boat and soon find hostel. Dump backpack andLäs mer
St. Ninians

Arrive at Bigton for St. Ninians. There is filming going on for Shetland but not on the beach fortunately.
The beach is amazing. Because of the way St. Ninians Isle affects the currents waves go bothLäs mer
Jarlshof

After 2 hours in the beach it's back on a bus to Sumbourgh, the southernmost tip of the island to visit Jarlshof which was first inhabited 4000 years ago. Then by the Vikings, then in medieval times,Läs mer
Islands, Ferries, and Buses.

So I start my plan, to Yell and back, by catching the 7:50 bus from outside the hostel to the ferry port to Yell. I expect to have to wait an hour for the ferry, but instead there's one pulling in.Läs mer
From Norwick Bay south to?

Leave the bay and start to head south.....
First stop Britain's most northerly tea room where I have to catch the bus. But first, time for Tomato and basil soup with crusty fresh bread, followed by aLäs mer
Last Day in Shetland.

Check out of the hostel at 10. Leave my bags there to pick up later. Plans for today are Bressay island and the museum.
But first I walk past the New Harbour Café. I'm not planning to go in, but ILäs mer
Lerwick to Edinburgh

Ferry to Aberdeen with a stop in Kirkwall. On the way go past Fair Isle.
Another smooth as silk crossing. That's 12 ferry crossings in Scotland and they've all been smooth and flat as a snooker table.