Back on the trike!

 

So after two weeks off the trike due to my off-roading capsize I was back in the saddle, literally, yesterday.  A few muscles still a bit sore but more or less recovered.  I'm sticking to the tarmac roads on the island, though.

Spring is slowly (very slowly) springing.  Yesterday and this morning were lovely, this afternoon the wind got up and it rained...again...  but... here are some sunny photos!

Daffodils, celandines and primroses are blooming along the verges.

Blue sky and blue sea oh how I have missed you!

Lambing in full swing on the island too...

Sands O' Wright, South Ronaldsay....

 

I paid a visit to this beach a couple of weekis ago.  First proper picnic in Freda the camper.  Hot soup!  The Sands O' Wright is one of my favourite spots.  Long flat sandy beach. Parking can be a problem in summer as it is so popular, particularly with camper vans!  But we had it almost to ourselves on this visit. The photos make Orkney look positively tropical.  It WAS a warmish day when I took these photos.  We could have the van doors open, yay!  But since then it has largely been breezy, cold, with sleet, snow, hail or heavy rain.   SO weary of it now.  My lungs have become increasingly unhappy with that kind of weather.  Bring on SPRING!

Anyway back to sands and sun... Soup by the sea......

Freda enjoying the view....

Fertile farmland...

Such a gorgeous beach with gentle waves when we were there....

More fertile farmland - with ewes and early lambs.

We then drove down to Hoxa Head for a brief wander (no photos as I had the bins out watching birds flitting about and some hares. I love hares and none on Graemsay so a treat to watch them elsewhere.

A couple of weeks ago....

 

I stopped off at the Ring of Brodgar for a short wander. The ring of standing stones date back to the Neolithic era and form part of The UNESCO World Heritage Site "The Heart of Neolithic Orkney".  It was chilly and breezy so I didn't stay long. But it's nice to be there before the tourist season when it gets very busy.  Sadly due to increased footfall over recent years the path inside the stones has worn badly. It is currently roped off while remedial work takes place.  It's free access which is good.  But I missed being able to hug one of the standing stones this time.

And it sits within a beautiful landscape surrounded by lochs.

And a lovely backdrop for Freda....

Another sun kissed beach .....

 

Went out yesterday adventuring in Freda the van.  I was still too sore to drive so was chauffeured around which was lovely. I didn't feel up to much wandering but did potter on a small beach in Evie on the West Mainland.  It was even warm enough to use the new camping chairs!  There aren't too many photos as I wasn't in the mood but you get the gist!  

It was a cold and frosty morning - view from the study below.  But a beautiful sail across to Stromness.

Sail away....

And at the beach in Evie... looking across to Eynhallow and Rousay.

Lovely wee pier....

Looking across to Aikerness and the Broch of Gurness.  We stopped for a picnic at the car park to the Broch which is well worth a visit.

Old boats hauled up 

It looks tropical - it wasn't!

Zoom in to see a line of Oystercatchers!