Anna returns

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Anna returned from her short business trip to Switzerland on Saturday, so after picking her up from the airport, my first priority was to visit the Lego exhibition at Grooves. Most of the models were locally made and had a local theme. The primary school kids made a large model of one of the ferries and there were a couple of models of the ‘Ba’ in progress ( see photo ) it was rather fun although we couldn’t stay for too long as it was quite late and we had some food shopping to do before heading back.

On Sunday we ‘pottered’ about the house and got a few things done before heading out to Birsay Tearooms for lunch and then a stroll out to the noosts, it was a lovely day with the sun shinning and only a little wind. The seabirds are starting to arrive and stake their claim to pieces of the cliff face ( see photo ). Not only is the wildlife getting ready for spring but there is an increasing number of ‘Blackenings’ going on around the towns.

This is a local tradition where the Bride, or Groom to be is covered in molasses and stuff and paraded around the town in the back of a lorry with their mates, banging on drums and blowing whistles. They then tie the person up on a local landmark and leave them for a bit only to return and then throw them into the sea. Obviously the exact format of this ritual is open to variations but you get the idea. Here is a link to the photos of the  first blackening we were invited to. We came across a particularly noisy one in Stromness, the language got quite colourful at one point and the girls were told to ‘watch their language because we have some tourists here taking pictures’ when we explained that we were not tourists but locals the person doing the warning said ‘ oh that is ok then, carry on girls! ”

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