I have wandered far both in the UK and in Middle-earth since I wrote last...traveled to Scotland last Wednesday and spent a long weekend there with some friends. It was so beautiful!! We spent the bulk of our time in Edinburgh, the capital, and stayed in a hostel literally down the hill from Edinburgh Castle! The Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny, among many other way cool things, reside in the castle, and the whole city is really neat. There's a Writers' Museum dedicated to three of Scotland's major writers (Robert Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson and Sir Walter Scott). We spent a lot of time just walking around, taking in the city, and then on Saturday we went hiking in a little coastal village near Edinburgh. Met an Australian guy in our hostel who wound up becoming a new friend! I really relish the chance to journey to places and spend time in them...not just to glance at their surfaces, but to take them into my heart. They say Scotland gets into your blood, and I believe it now - after having been there, I definitely want to go back.