Debkakes in the UK 2022

My big plan for this day was to be some kayaking, but the guide had to cancel, so I had a whole day to play with. So what does one do? THIS one headed back to Sumburgh to see if any puffins would come out to play!

Wandering around the lighthouse area a bit, I managed to grab a video of the great Fresnel Lens in motion!

I walked around to the places I had seen puffins before, but alas, they were shy on this day. Saw loads of fulmars and guillemots as usual, though! So I decided to head back home and try to find a cake fridge I’d been following on Facebook. I had just discovered it was in the Hamnavoe area (Papil in West Burra, near where the star is at Minn Beach).

So one doesn’t have to choose just one, does one?

So a little about cake fridges. This is a Shetland thing. Now, other places have honesty boxes, with eggs and farm goods, homebakes sweet and savory, jams, breads, etc. In fact — here’s one in Northton (Harris) that I loved.

But the concept of a refrigerated container with homebakes and also an honesty box is something else. Marina’s wasn’t the only one I’d visit, in fact I got to most of them on my list! And the world became aware of this wonder through the detective series “Shetland,” by the by. But because I was on various Shetland Facebook groups, it went on my list far before I saw the series. (BTW, some were not “fridges” per se, but fancy ice chests or other insulated containers.)

Thus fortified — I set out walking to Meal Beach, which by the map was not too far from my digs in Hamnavoe.

The walk to the beach, though less than a mile, was treacherous because there is no place for pedestrians to walk on the road. I had to leap into the weeds more than once! But it was worth it.

And by 10:15 I was feeling done. But wait! I could tell from my window that there would be an awesome sunset. Out I went for one last walk for the day.

The sunsets just go on and on and on, for well over a half hour the drama just keeps coming.

3 June, 2022