Jean Says: The good thing about going everywhere by boat, is that we don't have a car. Not having a car means that we do things differently, and have to operate within a very small sphere. Focussing on things in the immediate vicinity forces you to notice things that you might otherwise miss or even dismiss. To put it another way, you put up with whatever is available on the doorstep. Local shops might seem quite limited with what they have to offer, but it can make life less complicated, and life can definitely go on without fine green beans from Kenya, ten varieties of lettuce and a wide range of award winning organic muesli. If all they have is Golden delicious and bendy carrots, that's what we'll have. Simple, but perfectly adequate and phenomenally time saving.
As for social life, there are interesting local characters on every corner. We've met so many charming and helpful harbour masters, locals who are curious about us and want to chat, and other sailors of all denominations, not to mention numerous dolphins, who are very sociable indeed. Pubs and restaurants that we visit all have to be within staggering distance of the boat. This is how we've come across some of the most unusual and characterful places we've ever seen, and may otherwise have not bothered with. There is history and culture coming out of every pore in every place we visit, and an abundance of cultural and educational centres to show it all off in full technicolour.
Our sphere got a little larger today when we caught a bus to Kirkwall. We were able to view the countryside from high up, and get a real feel for The Orkneys. The highlight of our day was obviously our visit to the Orkney Wireless Museum. I know I must be getting old because I found it very interesting. We also went to the history of the Orkneys museum, the Cathedral and a cafe for lunch. The only recognisable shop was Boots.
Tomorrow, we're going to have a look at some ancient monuments, and I don't mean each other.

Bob outside the Orkney Wireless Museum.