First Week in Scotland

We conquered the jetlag inherent in the system, but not before an astonishing amount of sleep deprivation (Average Kinard sleep over first 36 hours: 1.5 hours).

First Impressions, Andrew:
Summer is beautiful here. [Thanks-S]. It strikes me that when we enter a garden, Summer seems to be camoflauged, because she's dressed in fall colors that exactly match the trees. A bit of advice for those who follow us to Scotland: Do not drive around Loch Ness in the dark, in the rain. Urquhart is a must-see. The 16th Century painted ceilings in Crathes Castle are so freaking cool.

First impressions, Summer:
After I got searched at the airport, the nice Indian lady called me "love" in a Cockney accent. The toilets in busy places are cooler than in US. The automatic flush works by you waving a hand in front of it, and there might be a dual flush option on the restrooms in a restaurant (very ecological). The countryside here is gorgeous. I mean, stunningly beautiful. Fresh air, clean water, and views,whether it's sunny (rare) or rainy (usual). Andrew is handsome here.

We've seen some ruins, a couple of cairns, and one furnished castle, loads of sheep, and old hills. Andrew has done an awesome job driving (even in the rain, in the dark). We made Eucharist on Monday at St. Andrews in Inverness. Today we returned hoping to celebrate the feast of All Saints, but they had a different schedule than we'd anticipated. We missed it, but we're looking forward to All Saints Sunday on Iona. Today we rode the train into Inverness to give Andrew a day free of driving. We minded the gap, of course. Next time we get an internet connection, probably next week, we'll upload pictures to the Picasa account for The Kinards. Till then, we have to head out to finish our exploration of Inverness before we head west.

Peace and Love,
Andrew and Summer