Let me start with a tip to all of you considering to travel to the Shetlands, Faeroes or Iceland: you might consider not to book a ferry with the internet service www.aferryto.co.uk. Why not: it is far more expensive that it would be if you booked at the ferry company (Northlink or Smiryll Line) itself. And: you might get informed just days before you leave that your reservation is not valid.

So, here I am on the Shetlands in Lerwick, on a Friday morning. Much better than on the Orkneys, the houses are more colourful, the whole atmosphere is that of a metropolis compared to Stromness on the Orkneys. The weather is fine, so what can you ask for more? Well, at a certain point you start to wonder what you will do in 10 days on the island. Talking square miles, it is smaller than London city… and sightseeing? Well, the cliffs are beautiful and if you like birds, then here we are! But three days would be just fine!


I talked to the local ferry office – they were very friendly and told me they would be put me first on the waiting list for this Sunday to reach the Faeroes. They added that it is not very likely that there would be any space on the ship since it has been in the dry-dock the last week and loads of fright had to be shipped. Well, fair enough, I would come back later this day to learn more.

I discovered an excellent camping site situated directly at a lake and not far from the highly modern leisure centre. And even better: saying hello to my “neighbour” I thought I would hear the same accent as mine is: Swiss! And I was right! Susette is travelling on to Iceland; and has already discovered the a good part of Shetland. Later two Australians with their bicycles, Pru and Ian, joint us. It’s quite interesting to talk to people who travelled around half the world with their bicycles. 

Well, the rest of the story is told fast enough: back at the Smiryll Line office I was told that their still was no space for my car. I could try it 2 hours before the ferry would be leaving, but… …there was not much hope. And the ferry in one week was completely booked, too. So twice on the waiting list? And no other connections to Iceland if you travel with a car? Wow, should I really be stuck for 14 days on the Shetlands?


I considered my options: Sending the car as freight would cost 900 Pounds. That’s one hell of money compared to the normal price of 140 Pounds. And yet, there was not place for additional freight, neither. Chartering a ship bringing me to the Faeroes? That would be quite cool, but talking to the harbour chief I learnt that there was no private fishing boat big enough on the Shetlands and I would have to talk with transport companies light-years in advance to charter a cargo-boat. And the cost… well, this was not longer an option.

The dinner was in an excellent Swiss-Australian company: we set up my camping table and were all eating in the wind shadow of the car. And windy it was! After an evening out in the local clubbing-scene (joke, but there was some cool jam session with good music and it was fun to talk and drink with the locals) I thought my roof tent including me myself would be blown away. This was no longer wind, it was a storm! The next day Susette and me went to the Western part of the island – no special birds to be seen but people were very friendly and waving their hands when we passed. Anyway, they are all well off on the Shetlands. There is no unemployment rate The oil- and fishing industry is simply too busy and the building companies are building one big leisure centre after the other.

 
Sunday: the day where all the other campers would go to the ferry to the Faeroes or Iceland. I thought I would give it a last try. At the Smiryll Line office I told the clerks (they knew my name by now) about my world-trip and how important it was to sail today. They promised that they would check all option once the ship was in the harbour. I simply did not believe that a huge ferry could be filled up to the last square meter. And then I got lucky: a bus was smaller than the relating note in the computer system said. And there was somebody else who wanted to go on the ferry without a reservation. And he, it turned out, was a former employee of the company. They could not let him on without me.


We both got our tickets and had to wait next to official line-up of cars. The ferry was huge, indeed. And when they lowered the door I saw that I had been wrong: there was really no space left at all.  But as things go, some trucks and trailers were supposed to stay on the Shetlands. We got on! I had to climb out of the window because there was no space to open the door, but I was on! On a full ferry! Without reservation! Now, I call this COOL!