Things are great for us up here. I met with the monks from Papay, and have been visiting other monastic sites here in Orkney. There are so many here that i will not get to all of them.
BTW – we never actually made it to Iona. We were camping right off the island, and our funds were low. Since they did not offer camping on Iona, and since everything cost so much money, we thought we would avoid all the spiritual tourists and complete that journey at another time.
Besides that, Orkney Islands offers a huge amount of Celtic monasteries and pilgrimage sites, all of them off the usual map and much more interesting to us. So here we are, having a great time. The kids insist on praying inside the old chapels and monasteries. We will leave tomorrow and start our descent down to London. We might stop again at Holy Island on the way down.
Pictures coming later – when i get connected again and dont have to rely on internet cafes and libraries.
Wifi on Orkney? Not yet.
Pilgrimage continues
What a meaningful traveling opportunity! Did you read any specific books in preparation for visiting these monastic site?
[andrew] hi sarah – i dont know of any books about monastic sites in orkney – only bits and pieces. one of those things you just have to do and experience – and it was well worth it.
but the first book i read in 1997 was How the Irish saved civilization and that was a good read.