Scotland is more beautiful than I ever imagined. The first picture here is of Arthur's Seat. Its a large hill on the outskirts of Edingburgh and is a part of Holyrood, the Royal residence here. The name has nothing to do with King Arthur. It's just what its called.

Mirjam came and met me here from Switzerland. She is going to stay for a couple of days. What a dream to be here in Switzerland with her--to have adventures together.
A Royal Pint of Guinness. And yes, it tastes better here than in the States. I think probably becuase I am in the UK, its poured properly and is the right temp.
The Scottish flag waving proudly. Every street corner has flags and tartan shops. The Scottish are very proud of their heritage.
St. Giles church at night. This is where John Knox preached. I also saw the house where he lived and a life size statue of him. He was not even 5 feet tall! I think its a mistake for Dustin and my uncle to play him at the Reformation fest each year... Very misleading. He also had a very long beard. Mirjam and I found a very old bookstore today and I bought a Dryden poetry book published in 1711. And only for Ten Scottish Pounds. (I don't know if there is a difference between English and Scottish Pounds, but since mine are minted by the Royal Bank of Scotland, I figured I should pay tribute.)

Haggis, Neeps and Tatties. Not as bad as I thought, but not the best either. The sausage and mash was much better.

The Royal Monument of Scotland. I've noticed that the Scots like putting up monuments of many things. I climbed one called the Scott Monument (put up for Sir Walter Scott) and it was 278 steps one way. Whew. My coworker Will and I climbed it with this Aussie girl, Nadine. She attached herself to us for the rest of the afternoon. It was fun to meet a new person and just hang out, talking about differences in various English speaking cultures.

Edinburgh Castle. Amazing.