Rosslyn Chapel

We were very interested in what we read in The Da Vinci Code about Rosslyn Chapel. The Templar and pre-Christian imagery and the encrypted references to the Holy Grail and Freemasonry were intriguing, so we put Rosslyn on our must-visit list for our trip to the UK.

It was just our luck that our host in Scotland lives so close. We took an afternoon trip down to the outskirts of Edinburgh, following a country road through some quaint towns to the chapel.

The experience did not disappoint. Rosslyn Chapel is full of intricate carvings depicting haunting visages, macabre stories, and a wide variety of religious belief systems. The stained glass was detailed beyond anything I've ever seen.

Have a look at today's pictures in the Flickr photo set in the link in the right bar.

Northern Scotland madness

We just got back to the Edinburgh area after 2 days up near Aberdeen. We went up to the Culloden battlefield and around Loch Ness, but we didn't get up to the whiskey distilleries before they closed for the night.

I've put pictures up, and I'll keep adding to this set.
Scotland Trip Flickr Set

First day in Scotland

We were picked up from the bus station by our gracious host and had dinner, then settled into his cozy house in Cardenen. We stayed up talking until well after the sun came up, then got a few hours of sleep. Started the day with some tea, but Joleen isn't feeling well after all the travel. She's getting some sleep.

Landed!

A bit of a bumpy flight, but all went well. I'm in London!

Houston layover

Arrived at Houston a few minutes early. It's almost 90˚ outside, and I'm glad I'm in the air-conditioned terminal.

Got to the terminal expecting to settle down for a 3 hour layover, and Joleen couldn't find her phone. The overhead paging system told us why. It was back at the gate, halfway across the airport. We got it back, but now I'm exhausted from running the length of the airport with all our luggage.

Checked in

Was lucky to get 3 hours of sleep before loading into the car. Checked in at the airport with an hour to wait for boarding. Probably my easiest TSA screening ever. 

Packing for my first trip out of the US

I'm packing for my trip to the UK. I'll be couch surfing my way through Scotland, Wales, England, and the Netherlands for 3 weeks. It's my first time out of the US, and I'm nervous about getting everything I'm going to need.