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As I shared in my last (also unfinished) post, Toby and I are heading out and taking so much in, and then talking way too long about every topic under the sun, I am not able to keep up well with blogging, but I at least want to put some cool pictures up here for now of what has been happening the last 3 or 4 days, as a preview of coming attractions.  In the picture above you see us traveling north across the newest Forth Bridge.  It's a bridge I was in a boat under the day before in the wettest, coldest conditions I can remember anywhere!  Thankfully, we had a beautiful day Tuesday for our journeys then. I fly home Tuesday, August 17.  Thankfully the COVID test I'm required to have is now set up for the right day and time to fit that impossibly tiny window of time required.  Anyway, I have 4 days left -- so without further ado, a QUICK review of the last 3 days.

TUESDAY: Falkland and then St. Andrews (for the university and St. Salvatore's College)

John Knox preached in the church above from November 1559 to April 1560.  The pulpit he preached from now resides in St. Salvatore's Chapel of St. Andrews University (2 photos above).

WEDNESDAY: 4 Castles, 2 Cities, and a Mill

I had a thorough tour of Merchiston Tower (above), home of "my" mathematician John Napier - saw every nook and cranny and broom closet - also got to go on a roof-top just a bit higher that is next to it and get a bird's-eye view.  This is a key element of why I'm here.

If you watch Outlander, you might recognize this mill as the one in which Jamie needs to stay underwater to avoid capture by the English.

THURSDAY: Rosslyn Chapel and a walk around "my" neighborhood (ending with St. Mary's Cathedral and then dinner along the Water of Leith)

Both the dinner itself and the location were lovely.  Tomorrow we head to the east coast for a couple of days.  The main goal here is to see Fast Castle (ruins), which is also associated with John Napier and a treasure hunt he entered into a contract to carry out using his "sorcery" skills.  The other big-ticket item for these days away is Vindolandia on Hadrian's Wall.  We may stop at other places such as Siccar Point, Eyemouth, Abbotsford, etc.  Aside from the two main destinations we'll play it by ear.