Day 15 - Thurso

1 August 2014

Accommodation – Mrs Murray’s B&B

Weather – overcast – some rain in the afternoon

Temperature – top of 15 degrees

The weather gods had been kind and the day ahead looked like what I am now calling a good day in Scotland:  overcast, non-windy and dry!  So we were off to the Orkneys!

We travelled by ferry to take on the maxi tour of the island – a total of 11 hours travel time.

Within five minutes of the commentary David and I looked at each other and wondered how we had not heard of the massive war effort carried out in the Orkneys nor its Norwegian history.  As we learnt so much to day I’m going to put captions under the photos to show you the unfolding day we had exploring this fascinating area.

The Orcadians were ruled for 800 years by Norway and have been ruled by Scotland since the 1500’s.  Such is their tie to Norway that their newly adopted flag is exactly the same as Norway except that one colour has been changed.  Orcadians are not Gaelic speakers.  The Orkneys are made up of 70 islands and 21 thousand people.

The Orkneys is virtually treeless because of the high winds.  The chief industry is farming and the animals are kept indoors for 7 months of the year.  Must be fun mucking out the stalls!

If you can make your way to the end of the blog read about the bitter sweet love story and the history of the Italian Chapel.

The enormous natural harbour, Scapa Flow, with one of four of Churchill's Barriers built during World War II by the Italian internees. They were built after a U Boat penetrated the WWI barrier and sank the Royal Oak with the loss of 833 men in WWII.  The entire British Fleet was anchored here at stages during the first and second world wars.

We stopped at Stromness, one of the major towns, and discovered Eliza Fraser was born here.

 

Europe's most famous intact Neolithic settlement, Skara Brae, was unearthed 150 years ago after a tremendous storm.  The stone houses show beds, shelving, a middle hearth and covered entrance ways....all made of stone.  This settlement is older than the pyramids of Egypt.

Her Purpleness heading towards Skaill House the home of the man who discovered Skara Brae.

The complete china set from the Endeavour was bought by the owner of Skaill House.  The Endeavour was on its way home after Captain Cook's last voyage and death in the Pacific.

The large sitting room which faces the North Sea....a different time!

 

The Ring of Brodgur was erected around 4000 - 4500 years ago.  Another Neolithic settlement has just been discovered a little way up the road from here and many archaeologists are on site with seating for interested people to watch the 'dig'.

The massive St Magnus Cathedral in the capital Kirkwall.  It has strong linkages to its Norwegian past.

 

The Italian Church.

 

The Italian Church was built by Italian internees during WW II.  One thousand seven hundred men were deployed to build the Churchill Barriers.  When Italy became an ally of Great Britain the men were subsequently employed to complete the barriers and lived with freedom in the Orkneys. 

While incarcerated the Italians asked if they could build a church so they were provided with two Nissan sheds which they joined together.  Everything inside the church was made of remnants of building materials, cans of bully beef and anything they could find to make the church.  The walls are decorated to look like brick tiles using the trompe l'oeil effect and the altar has a religious painting copied from a saint's card from an internee whose mother gave it to him when he headed off to war.  One Italian, Signor Pulumbi, made the iron gates and lanterns inside the church and he took many months to gather enough metal for the gates. 

Some of the walls are cardboard made to look like wood.

 

Pulumbi fell in love with a local girl, Barbara , however their love was not meant to be as Signor Pulumbi was already married. 

When the Italians were repatriated to Italy he made a metal heart for Barbara and placed it on the floor of the church.  When the gates to the altar were opened the heart was revealed.  Pulumbi told Barbara that he was leaving his heart in the Orkneys but he was not going to return.  Every week Barbara attended mass and when the priest's altar gates were opened she saw the metal heart made with such love.

The little metal heart at the end of the aisle and under the gate opening.

Several weeks ago, for the 70th anniversary, a televised link up was made with the Vatican to celebrate mass.  Signor Pulumbi was tracked down and he made the voyage to the Orkneys.

He is now a frail 94 year old and people were respectful not to worry him with questions.  When Pulumbi entered the church the first thing he did was walk down the aisle and open the gates to see the heart.

The priest asked him who the young girl was who was accompanying him.  Pulumbi replied:  this is my granddaughter Barbara.

Poignantly, the real Barbara passed away three years ago at the age of 89 and never married.