But I will share two misadventures that I had today on my long walk back from the Eshaness Lighthouse to where I am staying.
Along the way I ran across a pack of four Shetland ponies. They were not scared of me and came up close when I got near. I was taking a photo of one of them and when I wasn't looking one of the other ones bit my toe through my shoe. Just as I was realing from the shock and pain of what had just happened, another pony bit my jacket that I had tied to my waist and was trying to rip it off of me.
Item #1 of things I learned today: Shetland ponies are shifty, bitey bastards.
But they sure do make for good photography (following the next bit).
No sooner had I recovered from my traumatically-hilarious encounter with the ponies and had carried on enjoying the sites, when I apparently lost my footing and literally faceplanted on the road. I was trying to save my camera, which I had around my neck as I fell. I didn't do a good job. It got dinged up pretty bad. As did my knee. I popped up quickly, having just past about 3 houses after no houses around at all the entire rest of the walk...and I didn't want to be caught in embarrassment so I got up and ran. ha. Makes sense, right?
Anyway, short of those few things, it was quite an amazing walk among the sheep and ponies.
I stopped into the Tangwick Haa Museum in Tangwick. They have a great collection of artifacts and photos of crofting in the area back in the day. But I got to talking with the two people working behind the counter, Evelyn and Sarah, and had a blast talking with them about stories of the area and the dialect. I was really glad that I stopped in there (I had debated not doing it since it added on 1.5 miles to my walk...and, in retrospect, it would have prevented me from faceplanting) I ended up talking with them for about an hour or so!
Anyway, without further ado, I bring you the best of the best of the photos from the day.
In the photo below it the rock/island thing has an official name (I can't remember what it is) but locals call it "Drinking Horse" you'll see why in a later photo.
This is an old Croft house...they are ALL over the island. You literally can't go a mile without seeing a similar broken down old croft house.
There was a sheep skeleton in this particular croft house.
This is "Drinking Horse." Do you see it?
It was clear that humans don't own the road in these parts.
And then I came upon this shady cast of characters. That brown and white one on the left is the bitey bastard that tried to snack on my big toe.
If you look closely in this next one, you can see it is actually a self-portrait...
And here's the view from the cafe. I had an orange soda when I got back and nothing has ever tasted so good in my life.
Location:Eshaness, Shetland, United Kingdom
