Half and Half. Started the month in Oxford, ended up back on Shetland.
Numbers
Reporting Days: 31
Location: Around Oxford, around the M6 and around the south end of Shetland
Distance Walked: 285 km
Distance Driven: 1100 km
Around Oxford
May is a lovely time to spend in Oxford.
There are lots of green spaces, some more manicured than others - favourites this month were the Oxford Botanics and the Lye Valley.
There are also lots of hospitals.
Recently I've been taking part in a couple of Parkinson's-related research projects. One required an MRI (that project is part of a broader six-year study into brain mechanisms underlying motivation and apathy) the other required me to wear a collection of high-tech sensors to monitor my movements over several days (part of a project to better quantify the severity of Parkinson's symptoms). These research projects are entirely optional, but are an interesting extension to the regular NHS-based appointments.
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| Garden walls at the Oxford Botanic Garden |
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| River Cherwell in the Botanic Garden |
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| Orchid seen from the Lye Valley boardwalk |
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| Milham Ford nature park (sometime good for orchids) |
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| Motion Sensors |
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| The West Wing, John Radcliffe Hospital |
In Transit
I've travelled between Oxford and Shetland a couple of hundred times over the last 20-ish years. I used to regularly fly up and down (from Heathrow or Birmingham, via Edinburgh, Glasgow or Aberdeen), but now that time pressure has eased somewhat, I usually drive between Oxford and Aberdeen and catch the Northlink boat.
This time I split the long haul north with a very civilised dinner, bed and breakfast at the Westmorland Hotel (part of the Tebay Services).
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| Trees at Tebay Services |
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| Stonehaven Harbour, waiting until it's time to head for check-in at Aberdeen |
Around the south end of Shetland
Folks sometimes ask what I find to do when I'm on Shetland.
At this time of year, I'm really spoilt for choice. And there's so much daylight.
Every day includes a beach walk (always Quendale Beach, sometimes West Voe too). Most days include a visit to Sumburgh Head (or Scat Ness or the Pool of Virkie).
And at this time of year, I usually check in with the local auks who are all back on Shetland for the breeding season.
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| On Quendale Beach |
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| Walking up the West Voe path to Sumburgh Head |
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| Atlantic Puffin |
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| Razorbill |
Next Month
I'm expecting the pictures next month to include beaches, headlands and auks - just the usual Shetland fare :-)
