Our trip to meet Dag and his family in Dingwall
Posted: Sunday, 08 July 2007 |
It is so fun to make new friends! At the end of June Erlend and I took a 5-day holiday sooth so we could meet up with Dag, his wife Tordis and one of their daughters Marianne. We met up in the old Viking capitol of Dingwall and had the time of our lives! It was as if we had all known each other for years - we clicked the moment we all met! Thanks Dag, Tordis and Marianne for a wonderful three days of visiting!!!! It seems that Island Blogging is doing an excellent job of bringing all sorts of people together!
This sign says it all for the likes of us: Behold, SHEEP!
We all met at the National Hotel in Dingwall. I would suggest this hotel to anyone because it is so down to earth and friendly! We were glad that all of us were able to stay at the same place. Dag informed us that "Dingwall" is a corruption of "Ting vol" - the place where the Vikings held Tings, or their important decision-making meetings. (Of course I spelled it wrong.) That makes sense of an otherwise silly-sounding town name!
We all claimed a table in the dining room where we held our own tings. The first order of business: eating a good supper!!!
Here I am enjoying "Chocolate Lumpy Bumpy" - a weird name for such a divine pudding!!!! I wish I had thought to get the instructions on how to make it...oh wait, maybe it's safer that I didn't!!!!!
Erlend engages in his favorite past time: reading!
We held a breakfast ting (the Norwegians were not impressed with the porridge made with water!) and decided to engage in some exploration. We decided to go look at the big tower thingy up on the hill and then head off to Ullapool.
The Norwegians are a peaceful people...
Scottish, Norwegian and American troops joined forces in an attempt to take the tower. After a brave rush at the sturdy gates they had to finally admit defeat.
(Look: no food! A rare photo of us not stuffing our faces...) On the way to Ullapool we stopped to stretch our legs and admire the sheep droppings. Here Tordis is attempting to teach me Norwegian words by pointing out the various flowers - most of which I've never seen before in my life! So it was a double lesson: botany and Norwegian. (I kept having to ask Erlend what the flowers were called in English...or should I say Orcadian?)
Ullapool! Yeah. Uh... ok, on to the next picture... (It was sunny but incredibly cold!! We nearly froze!!) Wow...my shoes look like ballet slippers. Weird.
On the way back to Dingwall we spotted something at the edge of the forest: stags! Erlend pulled the van over and we all got out to have a look at the beautiful animals.
You should be able to make out the twa stags. There was a doe with them and they were grazing - until we showed up. Then they all stood there staring at us with mounting suspicion. Finally, after posing for the camera a few times, they all trotted back into the forest.
Each evening we would enjoy a walk around Dingwall in an attempt to digest our huge suppers. (The hotel is not skimpy on portions!) Our evening Ting decided the fate of our final day together: we would visit the sheep sales at Dingwall auction mart and then journey to the Black Isle for a visit to the Clootie Well and then dinner at the Munlochy Hotel. There we would say goodbye to Dag, Tordis and Marianne.
The twa farmers in front of the Dingwall Auction Mart
Farm Chic. We are trying our best to look the part...
Bonnie black face sheepies zoom aboot the ring. The Norwegians do not have these kinds of auctions! So our visit to the sheep sales ended up being a cultural adventure for Dag, Tordis and Marianne. They loved it!
"Does anyone have any idea what that man is saying???"
The Clootie Well! This is sooo cool. We don't have anything like this back home. This particular Clootie Well is dedicated to Saint Boniface - I have no idea who it was dedicated to in pre-Christian times.
Dag came armed with a cloot from Norway which he divided up with Tordis and Marianne.
Cloots everywhere!
Tordis prepares to give away her portion of the cloot.
Marianne places her portion of the cloot in the mystical well waters.
We came armed with a (clean) hankie from Orkney. I've dipped it in the well water and touched it to my injured ankle.
Here it is tied to a tree.
After a lovely dinner at the Munlochy Hotel we had to say our goodbyes because Dag et al were heading one way and we were off to Pluscarden Abbey. What a great time we all had together! It's so wonderful to make new friends. Marianne downloaded several pictures of their sheep in Norway and I can't resist sharing the pictures:
Three balls of wool with no legs hehehe! These sheep are so very similar to Shetland Sheep. I wish I could have a flock of them myself here in Orkney!
Such a serious little sheep! This is one of my favorite pictures.
Dag will have to tell us what breeds these are again. I know one breed is called, "Norwegian." The other breed is named after his home area in Norway. But I can't remember which breed is which!
This sheep is wearing more jewelry then most humans!!! (Dag sent us a bell and a red tag for our sheep Mathilda! So now she will be as richly adorned hehehe!)
Ok, is it me or is this sheep smiling?
Here's another smiling sheep! They have a very friendly flock over there in Norway!
Ok, now I am finished with the photos. There are so many more but I just can't sit here for any longer re-sizing and posting! My hands and my back are killing me hahahaha! CHEERIO!
This sign says it all for the likes of us: Behold, SHEEP!
We all met at the National Hotel in Dingwall. I would suggest this hotel to anyone because it is so down to earth and friendly! We were glad that all of us were able to stay at the same place. Dag informed us that "Dingwall" is a corruption of "Ting vol" - the place where the Vikings held Tings, or their important decision-making meetings. (Of course I spelled it wrong.) That makes sense of an otherwise silly-sounding town name!
We all claimed a table in the dining room where we held our own tings. The first order of business: eating a good supper!!!
Here I am enjoying "Chocolate Lumpy Bumpy" - a weird name for such a divine pudding!!!! I wish I had thought to get the instructions on how to make it...oh wait, maybe it's safer that I didn't!!!!!
Erlend engages in his favorite past time: reading!
We held a breakfast ting (the Norwegians were not impressed with the porridge made with water!) and decided to engage in some exploration. We decided to go look at the big tower thingy up on the hill and then head off to Ullapool.
The Norwegians are a peaceful people...
Scottish, Norwegian and American troops joined forces in an attempt to take the tower. After a brave rush at the sturdy gates they had to finally admit defeat.
(Look: no food! A rare photo of us not stuffing our faces...) On the way to Ullapool we stopped to stretch our legs and admire the sheep droppings. Here Tordis is attempting to teach me Norwegian words by pointing out the various flowers - most of which I've never seen before in my life! So it was a double lesson: botany and Norwegian. (I kept having to ask Erlend what the flowers were called in English...or should I say Orcadian?)
Ullapool! Yeah. Uh... ok, on to the next picture... (It was sunny but incredibly cold!! We nearly froze!!) Wow...my shoes look like ballet slippers. Weird.
On the way back to Dingwall we spotted something at the edge of the forest: stags! Erlend pulled the van over and we all got out to have a look at the beautiful animals.
You should be able to make out the twa stags. There was a doe with them and they were grazing - until we showed up. Then they all stood there staring at us with mounting suspicion. Finally, after posing for the camera a few times, they all trotted back into the forest.
Each evening we would enjoy a walk around Dingwall in an attempt to digest our huge suppers. (The hotel is not skimpy on portions!) Our evening Ting decided the fate of our final day together: we would visit the sheep sales at Dingwall auction mart and then journey to the Black Isle for a visit to the Clootie Well and then dinner at the Munlochy Hotel. There we would say goodbye to Dag, Tordis and Marianne.
The twa farmers in front of the Dingwall Auction Mart
Farm Chic. We are trying our best to look the part...
Bonnie black face sheepies zoom aboot the ring. The Norwegians do not have these kinds of auctions! So our visit to the sheep sales ended up being a cultural adventure for Dag, Tordis and Marianne. They loved it!
"Does anyone have any idea what that man is saying???"
The Clootie Well! This is sooo cool. We don't have anything like this back home. This particular Clootie Well is dedicated to Saint Boniface - I have no idea who it was dedicated to in pre-Christian times.
Dag came armed with a cloot from Norway which he divided up with Tordis and Marianne.
Cloots everywhere!
Tordis prepares to give away her portion of the cloot.
Marianne places her portion of the cloot in the mystical well waters.
We came armed with a (clean) hankie from Orkney. I've dipped it in the well water and touched it to my injured ankle.
Here it is tied to a tree.
After a lovely dinner at the Munlochy Hotel we had to say our goodbyes because Dag et al were heading one way and we were off to Pluscarden Abbey. What a great time we all had together! It's so wonderful to make new friends. Marianne downloaded several pictures of their sheep in Norway and I can't resist sharing the pictures:
Three balls of wool with no legs hehehe! These sheep are so very similar to Shetland Sheep. I wish I could have a flock of them myself here in Orkney!
Such a serious little sheep! This is one of my favorite pictures.
Dag will have to tell us what breeds these are again. I know one breed is called, "Norwegian." The other breed is named after his home area in Norway. But I can't remember which breed is which!
This sheep is wearing more jewelry then most humans!!! (Dag sent us a bell and a red tag for our sheep Mathilda! So now she will be as richly adorned hehehe!)
Ok, is it me or is this sheep smiling?
Here's another smiling sheep! They have a very friendly flock over there in Norway!
Ok, now I am finished with the photos. There are so many more but I just can't sit here for any longer re-sizing and posting! My hands and my back are killing me hahahaha! CHEERIO!
Comments
glad you had a good time--i agree through ib one makes new people--but why did you stay at dingwall?? ok its nice but for me being based at ullapool-------ah h茅ppy,very happy memories--staying in aultbeae,going out to the summer iles etc etc!-
carol from over here
Great photos, Moo, I'm so glad you had a good visit with Dag and family. It was good to see you all together. I like the Norwegian curly sheep, too. What lovely wool you could make from those colours. One thing: reading about the 'ting vol' I was reminded that the Manx parliament is called the Tynwald - I wonder if it comes from the same source? Did the Vikings go to the Isle of Man? They do seem to have got around quite a lot!
Jill from EK
I just noticed the cold weather in your Ullapool photo. I will be there in a couple of weeks so I hope it heats up a bit! although it can be quite warm there. Lovely place, Carol, I agree! Been there 4 years running.
Jill from EK
Well, I have to admit that living on an island makes it not so exciting to take ferries out to other islands - like the Summer Isles! When we go sooth we like to enjoy the mainland! Dingwall was very bonnie and the hotel was great. Dag picked it oot because it was once the Viking capitol of Scotland!
Michelle Therese from Mainland Orkney
Well there you are above. Carol made me very welcome on my recent holiday to France, showing me some of the delightful scenery that is on offer, it's not all sunshine!!
Lerwick Trevor from Sunny Lerwick
do you mean someone who is tall,dark-haired and a hellava nice girl,who just happened to be at uzes market with me one wed morning,trevor,,
carol from over here
Say no more, nudge nudge, nod nod, wink wink
Lerwick Trevor from Monty Ooops
Jill,et al, yes Tynwald is Ting Vallr as is Tingwall (cf Orkney and Shetland) and Thingwall my birth parish near Birkenhead. The Vikings most certainly did go to the Isle of Man, the three legs is a viking symbol. The connections between the Northern Isles, the Western Isles,many of Irelands coastal cities, huge ares of mainland Britain and the Norse are many and manifold as evidenced by language and place names. Almost any place name ending in by,ford,sta,ster,wick or wall is probably norse their are norse loan words in gaelic and the dialects of Orkney and Shetland, Caithness, Aberdeenshire and Yorkshire are rich in pure norse words. The original Lords of the Isles were Viking. There is a fascinating reenactment taking place at present. A replica Viking longship, based on one of the Danish Skuldelev ships is en route from Dennmark to Dublin via Orkney and the west. The reason for this trip is that the original vessel 1000 years ago was almost certainly built in Ireland. The replica is called Havhingsten fra Glendalough (The first word means sea stallion) a google will get you their web site.
Hyper-Borean from Althing
Thanks for that, HB. I know the Vikings got down the west coast of England/Wales and to Ireland, I suppose the IoM was a logical place for them. Havhingsten (sea stallion) is interesting, as Hengst is the German word for stallion and is clearly from the same source. Will check out the website later.
Jill from EK
ok trevor!! i guessed right--sadly don't think i can help you--what did you think of man with--- photos??
carol from the usual place
carol? trev? you two are speaking in riddles? what went on with who? can I use any more question marks? where is tws to sort this out?
scallowawife from reading between the lines
I think the really sad thing is, what with tall darkhaired C being married and all, nothing at all went on.... I love the smiley sheeps!
Flying Cat from on a rug
Steady FC, there was enough about sheep and welly boots on the radio this morning.
Lerwick Trevor from Sheep filled hillside
Yes, our meeting was a great success. Dingwall is a very nice place, we couldn't had a better meeting place. Ullapool has a nice view, but I was very disappointed. There were tourist everywhere and we had to wait 45 min. to get some food.
Dag from Norway
Very nostalgic for me to look at these piccies. Lived in Beauly near Dingwall (and the Clootie well - my cloots there somewhere!) for 14 years until September last year. My workload patch was from the Black Isle across to Skye and up to Ullapool. Really happy times, missin it loads, the Highlands that is and not the workload......glad you liked it too :o)
Musings from All misty eyed....
Well I guess you all were tourists too...
Flying Cat from a balanced view
DAG:- tourists everywhere?????? is that the pot calling the kettle black?
carol from the usual place
Oh I forgot to add to this post that not all of these photos are mine! The pictures of us at the tower, Dag with the cannon, all of the sheep photos at the end, some of the Clootie Well pics, the photos of us in the hotel and at the auction mart and the shot of the front of the hotel are all Marinne's photos! Cheers!
Michelle Therese from Mainland Orkney
those animal creatures looks like stuffed toys, they are real for sure!
Meily from building
So...I traded my quiet cabin in the Alaskan woods for the howling winds of Orkney and life on a farm. 
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