Shetland!

In the summer of 2020, we were supposed to take a cruise to Alaska. As COVID-19 got more intense, we considered cancelling, but we held off - and eventually the cruise company cancelled. We even got our money back. 

I was also working all the time - long days plus some weekends. One of the things that got me through that period was the webcams from Shetland. I had the shetlandwebcams up on one of my screens every day. During the hot Minnesota summer, I enjoyed watching the gray, damp weather off Victoria pier. I saw people strolling along the water, pushing prams or walking dogs. One day I even saw people jumping off the pier into the cold north sea. 

In the summer of 2021, we planned a trip to Shetland for August. We had our vaccines - though I'd lost my official white CDC COVID-19 Vaccine card. It looked like they'd open for tourists without a quarantine period, but by the beginning of July I gave up and cancelled our trip. 

So in July of 2022, I finally got to plan a trip to see Shetland with my own two eyes - and find out what it looked like in places NOT covered by the webcams. 

It's complicated to get to Shetland. Wendy, mom and I took a direct overnight flight from MSP to Amsterdam. A couple hours later, we took a small flight from Amsterdam to Aberdeen. There were two seats on each side of the small plane, so I sat next to a stranger, who happened to be from Shetland! We had a lovely visit. 

By the time we got to Aberdeen, we were