PENDOWN

Experiential travel stories from India and 31 other countries!

A wee bit of Shetland!

Hi Readers!

I am happy to publish a special post today. It comes from my best friend Anushree Ganguly Chowdhury. She is multi-talented and writes really well. A little pamper was required to coax her in for writing this piece but I am sure this is the best beginning. She is an Indian and lives in Glasglow and in here she writes a crispy talk about her small visit to subarctic archipelago of Scotland.

Have you heard about Shetland?

An unheard name! Isn’t it? To be true, I had not heard about the place until I heard it from her. Geographically, it lies north-east of mainland Britain and further north of Stockholm (Place I know).  The isles are gorgeous and the local way of life there reflects the joint Norse and Scottish heritage. Throughout Shetland, you see ancient rock structures dating back hundreds or perhaps even thousands of years, adding to the spooky feel of the islands. The lovely memories of Europe are back. I thank my dear friend for introducing me to this new place.

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By the window side of the bus, I can see the sun reflecting colorful rays on the snow, just like my little heart, brimming with so many emotions all at one time.

From the scorching humid climate of India to the Snowy long walks in Glasgow and now my next destination being the Unique Shetland. All this in a very little time, brings out the overwhelming and the adventurous side of me.

Right, Now Let’s talk a wee bit about Shetland (please forgive my usage of Glaswegian language, that has started finding its way quite naturally now).

I would lie if I tell you, that I was free of qualms when my ferry landed in Shetland, especially after a bumpy-rough Sea cruise resulting in a night of sea sickness and the super windy, lovely weather (love to call it Shetland-ish) on the welcome. While we were waiting for the taxi at the terminal (Oh! did I tell you my husband had an interview scheduled and that was the reason of my being there), I was questioning myself if I would be able to survive the quietness of the place long enough and if this is something I want to do?

It wasn’t long before the taxi arrived and our drive began with a lovely small chat with the driver, a man who has been in Shetland for the last 64 years and had only good words about his experience.One led to another and it didn’t take us time to discover the welcoming community of Shetlanders and such was the uniqueness of the place that most of the people knew each other by their names in that cohesive little society.

From the taxi, to the neighboring shops, to a local takeaway, I could feel a pleasant breeze of love and friendliness wrapped in the freezing wind. I could clearly see, Shetland wants me to come and explore itself, from its speckled beaches, to its fascinating Nordic culture, its special wildlife and sometimes the lush green and sometimes the treeless drives. I can very safely say, this isn’t just it! There is way more to see and deal with.

On my way back to the Ferry, all I could think was, Life is not about the breaths you take but the moments that take your breath away!

By Anushree Ganguly Chowdhury

Happy Travelling!!!

🙂 🙂 🙂

4 thoughts on “A wee bit of Shetland!

  1. I searched for this on your page , felt like I wanted to read this again. This was the first time in Shetland and this was actually may be first time I thought , I should try blogging .. And that was 2012 and today is 2015, that’s how long it took me. Never had the courage and kept blaming busy life! But, really that was just a lame excuse. Ashu, you were always and are an inspiration so here you go! I have just pressed my first blog and I am already loving it. Wish you were around for a chat and celebration. Visit my blog-https://zindagiyouarerawmazing.wordpress.com/

    and hope you like it ! I am still novice, naive and nervous ! Love Anu xx

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