Orkney; Houses of the Holy

Orkney or, The Orkney Islands, is an archipelago located about a 45min ferry ride north of John O’Groats. Initially, I had never even considered visiting these tiny little islands but when people kept telling me that I really should, who was I to argue.So, the day after I arrived at John O’Groats, I left the bags behind and set off for a 138km ride; a “day off.”

If there is one word to describe the various attractions scattered across Orkney, it would have to be sacred. Aside from the natural beauty of the softly rolling hills, sparsely dotted with farmhouses and lakes, Orkney is home to various places of worship.

The first I came across was The Italian Chapel, a tiny church built by WWII Italian prisoner’s of war. Though built with whatever materials could be scavenged, it is held together with the love and passion of the truly devout. A very popular tourist attraction, it seemed almost blasphemous that this house of worship was just another stop along the tour-bus route.

Only a mile or two from the Italian Chapel, was another sacred structure. The Holm Totem Pole was erected in the autumn of 2007 brought together the people of Orkney, various community groups and Canadian First Nations carvers. Though the specific reasons that inspire the carving of totem poles are as varied as the people who create, they all serve to unite, inspire and awe. It’s actually tadalafil tablets in india considered the World’s Strongest Antioxidant. Patients of heart illnesses and kidney cheap viagra australia and liver issue please are careful with these conceivable responses and converse with your doctor before going in for these medications. https://unica-web.com/members/unica-members-may-2016.pdf cialis 5 mg When the price of all the life saving medicine is getting high, the generic medicine is reducing the rate. As per studies approx 10 percent of men diagnosed with prostate view here now levitra 10 mg cancer go for active intervention as a treatment. Reflecting on the thousands of people who stop to gawk at the Italian Chapel, I wondered how many of those took the time to admire this great monument.

Without question, the most impressive of all the sacred monuments found on Orkney are those that date from the stone-age. The Standing Stones Stenness and the nearby Ring of Brodgar really do make you feel small and insignificant by comparison. These great monoliths, arranged with precision, tower above and envelope you. At the Ring of Brodgar in particular, people were dumb-founded, barely a word being uttered. Most people simply walked about, awestruck, unsure quite what to think, but certain that they were in the midst of something truly greater than themselves.

Probably the most well-known attraction at Orkney is Skara Brae. This 5000 year old stone-age village was discovered quite haphazardly when a massive storm in 1850 swept aside the sand dunes that had kept it hidden from view for hundreds, thousands of years. Though absent of human remains, they were incredibly well preserved, providing an intimate glimpse into the daily lives of our Europe’s earliest ancestors.