CNN had an online article today about the Orkney Islands. I sent the link to Karen and Becca with the subject line “Been there, done that” referring to our trip there in September 2002. The best part about visiting Orkney, besides the fact that it was beautiful and had some amazing prehistoric ruins, was that no one ever goes there. In the grand scheme of travelling, being able to say you’ve been to Orkney is pretty unique. (That, and it’s fun to remind Becca of the Orkney bike ride from hell. I swear the wind followed us.)
This led to Becca reminiscing about her first conversation with Ollie and Doug, two of Cari’s friends from her year at ISU:
Becca: Hi! Where in Scotland are you from?
Ollie: I’m from Orkney.
Becca: I’ve been to Orkney!
Ollie: No shit! No one goes to Orkney.
Becca: Well, I did.
Ollie: Bloody ‘ell, No one goes to Orkney!
Becca: Well, I did with two of my girlfriends. [Describe details of trip, the beauty, the bike ride from hell, the oldest piles of rocks ever]
Ollie: You are the first person I’ve ever met who’s been to Orkney.
Doug: I have lived in Scotland all my life and have never been to Orkney!
Becca: Well, you’re missing out. Except never try to ride a bicycle into the wind in three directions.
Ollie: Bloody HELL! No one goes to Orkney!
that’s like me and having been to slovakia. my slovak peeps are highly underrated.
And here’s the article, apparently. Was on today’s front page at CNN.com:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/TRAVEL/DESTINATIONS/10/19/extraordinary.orkney.ap/index.html