Put on a happy face! And that's just how I'm feeling this morning as I gaze out the window at the beauty of the abbey against a bright blue sky.
Well, when I opened up Ernest's e-mail yesterday, I couldn't help but laugh out loud.
The weather in Scotland has been beautiful for nearly two weeks, and then we show up! The guys at the plant were giving Marty a hard time about bringing bad weather with him.
But, I have always said that I'd rather be in Scotland in the rain than miss the opportunity to be here. Because, let's face it, we can't change the weather.
And don't worry, Ernest, I'm not going to "shoot the messenger" as they say. Thanks for the umbrella update.
So, I headed out yesterday morning, walking into town, with umbrella in hand and my raincoat hood up, since it was raining. It seemed the perfect time to head to St. Margaret's Cave, which is open only a few months a year, so I was never able to actually see it previously.
I was told that the entrance to the cave stood next to a large visitor parking lot. So, I headed into town in that direction, but did not expect to see this:
Obviously, this building is not a cave, but it was actually constructed to preserve the cave that was used by St.Margaret in the early 1000's. In 1899, the first Catholic Pilgrimage was made here, and it became an annual event around June 10, the feast day of St. Margaret until 1974, although people continue to make their own personal pilgrimages.
In 1963, the town wanted to build a car park in the glen where this cave stands, and the plans were to merely bury it. Luckily, public outcry prevented its destruction, and the car park was built while the cave was preserved.
In order to access the cave, I entered the building where I was greeted by a delightful man. We struck up a conversation about the history of St. Margaret, of which I had been reading, and before I knew it, this man was speaking of his avid love of genealogy and I was totally enjoying his sharing his family tree findings back to 1650. There's nothing quite like sharing a great genealogy story!
Now it was time to actually enter the cave, which is located several stories down below the car park level. The history behind the cave states that St. Margaret used to come here to pray when she wanted solitude. At one point King Malcolm III, her husband, secretly followed her, thinking that she having some sort of liaison in the cave. He was relieved and surprised to find his wife in solitude, on her knees, praying here. (Personally, I hope he felt like a real chump when he found her! Shame on him!)
I had been a bit worried that entering this cave would be creepy......sort of like the lava buttes that we climbed through in Oregon years ago, but this was a relatively simple experience involving descending stairs while listening to the echo of piped- in Gregorian Chant music.
Since one looks like they are descending down a giant dryer vent, the music didn't really add much to the experience. There are very informative placards along the walk, describing the history of St. Margaret and the significance of the cave.
At the bottom of the steps, to the left, sits the original cave with a statue of a woman praying inside. There is absolutely no doubt that you are in the original cave, and, I'll admit, it wouldn't have been my first choice for finding solitude.
But, then again, I wasn't living in a tower with 8 children either. Perhaps this was the only solitude that this woman could find!
After leaving the cave, I headed to the spot where Malcom Canmore's Tower, the one where Margaret and her children lived, would have once stood.
Here you can see remnants of the tower in front with the steeple of the abbey peeking out in the background. I had wondered why Margaret would seek solitude in a deep cave when there was a magnificent Abbey nearby, but learned that the abbey was built by her son, David, after Margaret died.
Note that by now, Ernest's prediction has come to fruition and there are bright blue skies in the distance.
Malcolm Canmore's Tower is just one facet of Pittencrief Park, a lovely piece of ground donated to the town of Dunfermline by Andrew Carnegie. I've spoken of it in past blogs, but the beauty continues to take me by surprise every time I visit. And this time, I was able to see flowers in bloom.
I cannot express how enjoyable it is to walk through this place. Not only are there numerous photo opportunities
but the place is full of activity, with people walking their dogs, as well as babies out for carriage strolls with mommies and grandmas (and often time daddies and grandpas).
And even a grey cloud sneaking in cannot spoil the beauty of this place.
In one of the gardens right outside the palace where John Forbes was born, stands this placard that tells of his 300 mile travel through Pennsylvania.
And the view from that spot was spectacular.
Imagine living in a house and gazing on this scene out of the window.
Walking along one of the many trails, I spotted this intriguing tree which looks like a yellow wisteria.
While standing there admiring its beauty, I suddenly found myself surrounded.
These little guys move pretty fast. When I went to snap this photo, there were no fewer than 6 of the little critters running circles around me. They apparently thought that I had some sort of treat to offer. When none was procured, they went hopping off to find another victim.
But this guy must have thought that it was worth hanging around....just in case.
When Marty got back from work, we headed back into town to dinner. We just couldn't resist enjoying the good weather!
The sun was shining in such a way that the Railroad bridge and the Forth Auto Bridge were reflecting the light, making them easy to spot in the distance.
And that same sun continued to shine for many hours.
Here you see Marty enjoying a piggy treat in our room, with the sun shining through the window. Would you believe that this photo was taken at 9:30 p.m.?
Well, it's time to get out and enjoy the day.
The sun is brilliant and the skies are blue. But, I'm not ignoring Ernest's prediction of pouring rain in the afternoon, although I do hope he is wrong. (no offense to you, Ernest)
If it does pour down rain....I hope that it will be where I am NOT!
I'll keep you posted.
What a great way to start the day, don't you think?
Quite the opposite of yesterday morning, where the skies were grey and rain kept falling sporadically. I wasn't quite sure what the day would bring. When I went to check my e-mail, I spotted a message from my good friend, Ernest. It's great having a friend who is a meteorologist, because I have my own personal weatherman to give me a heads up on the day. If pouring rain is predicted, I'm surely not going to be taking a walk in the park!
Well, when I opened up Ernest's e-mail yesterday, I couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Wednesday: rain will stop in the late afternoon only , evening dry
Thursday : rain again and sometimes pouring rain in the afternoon
Friday : rain
Saturday : rain
Sunday : rain
The weather in Scotland has been beautiful for nearly two weeks, and then we show up! The guys at the plant were giving Marty a hard time about bringing bad weather with him.
But, I have always said that I'd rather be in Scotland in the rain than miss the opportunity to be here. Because, let's face it, we can't change the weather.
And don't worry, Ernest, I'm not going to "shoot the messenger" as they say. Thanks for the umbrella update.
So, I headed out yesterday morning, walking into town, with umbrella in hand and my raincoat hood up, since it was raining. It seemed the perfect time to head to St. Margaret's Cave, which is open only a few months a year, so I was never able to actually see it previously.
I was told that the entrance to the cave stood next to a large visitor parking lot. So, I headed into town in that direction, but did not expect to see this:
Obviously, this building is not a cave, but it was actually constructed to preserve the cave that was used by St.Margaret in the early 1000's. In 1899, the first Catholic Pilgrimage was made here, and it became an annual event around June 10, the feast day of St. Margaret until 1974, although people continue to make their own personal pilgrimages.
In 1963, the town wanted to build a car park in the glen where this cave stands, and the plans were to merely bury it. Luckily, public outcry prevented its destruction, and the car park was built while the cave was preserved.
In order to access the cave, I entered the building where I was greeted by a delightful man. We struck up a conversation about the history of St. Margaret, of which I had been reading, and before I knew it, this man was speaking of his avid love of genealogy and I was totally enjoying his sharing his family tree findings back to 1650. There's nothing quite like sharing a great genealogy story!
Now it was time to actually enter the cave, which is located several stories down below the car park level. The history behind the cave states that St. Margaret used to come here to pray when she wanted solitude. At one point King Malcolm III, her husband, secretly followed her, thinking that she having some sort of liaison in the cave. He was relieved and surprised to find his wife in solitude, on her knees, praying here. (Personally, I hope he felt like a real chump when he found her! Shame on him!)
I had been a bit worried that entering this cave would be creepy......sort of like the lava buttes that we climbed through in Oregon years ago, but this was a relatively simple experience involving descending stairs while listening to the echo of piped- in Gregorian Chant music.
Since one looks like they are descending down a giant dryer vent, the music didn't really add much to the experience. There are very informative placards along the walk, describing the history of St. Margaret and the significance of the cave.
At the bottom of the steps, to the left, sits the original cave with a statue of a woman praying inside. There is absolutely no doubt that you are in the original cave, and, I'll admit, it wouldn't have been my first choice for finding solitude.
But, then again, I wasn't living in a tower with 8 children either. Perhaps this was the only solitude that this woman could find!
After leaving the cave, I headed to the spot where Malcom Canmore's Tower, the one where Margaret and her children lived, would have once stood.
Here you can see remnants of the tower in front with the steeple of the abbey peeking out in the background. I had wondered why Margaret would seek solitude in a deep cave when there was a magnificent Abbey nearby, but learned that the abbey was built by her son, David, after Margaret died.
Note that by now, Ernest's prediction has come to fruition and there are bright blue skies in the distance.
Malcolm Canmore's Tower is just one facet of Pittencrief Park, a lovely piece of ground donated to the town of Dunfermline by Andrew Carnegie. I've spoken of it in past blogs, but the beauty continues to take me by surprise every time I visit. And this time, I was able to see flowers in bloom.
So beautiful!
And even a grey cloud sneaking in cannot spoil the beauty of this place.
In one of the gardens right outside the palace where John Forbes was born, stands this placard that tells of his 300 mile travel through Pennsylvania.
And the view from that spot was spectacular.
Walking along one of the many trails, I spotted this intriguing tree which looks like a yellow wisteria.
The fragrance was light and lovely. Do any of my blogger friends know if this is some type of wisteria?
These little guys move pretty fast. When I went to snap this photo, there were no fewer than 6 of the little critters running circles around me. They apparently thought that I had some sort of treat to offer. When none was procured, they went hopping off to find another victim.
But this guy must have thought that it was worth hanging around....just in case.
When Marty got back from work, we headed back into town to dinner. We just couldn't resist enjoying the good weather!
The sun was shining in such a way that the Railroad bridge and the Forth Auto Bridge were reflecting the light, making them easy to spot in the distance.
And that same sun continued to shine for many hours.
Here you see Marty enjoying a piggy treat in our room, with the sun shining through the window. Would you believe that this photo was taken at 9:30 p.m.?
No reprimands for indulging late, by the way. Would you be able to resist that yummy looking piggie?
The sun is brilliant and the skies are blue. But, I'm not ignoring Ernest's prediction of pouring rain in the afternoon, although I do hope he is wrong. (no offense to you, Ernest)
If it does pour down rain....I hope that it will be where I am NOT!
I'll keep you posted.
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