Em's Dailies..

what lies ahead? i have no clue.
the road seems long and endless
i need to find meaning in
this tiring sometimes isolated journey
what lies ahead? i want to know
though my feet are blistered
i go on and on and on and on
sometimes wondering
how long should i go
but still...i go on and on.

As I gazed in awe in the wonder of Rosslyn chapel ceilings I thought about the amount of time, labor and passion of those who meticulously carved these.

How many people sweat for this monumental 14th century creativity?

Who's mind owns this design?

Did they really think they could accomplish something as grand as this? A work of art that continues to defy time, hiding proudly in the interiors of an isolated chapel. What else could have made this possible than the power of love.

Whoever was this chapel for, that person must have been really special and truly loved.

As I close the Scottish adventure chapter of my life and before I begin to snap myself back to the realities of my life, I would admit that coming to Scotland has provided me room to relax, unwind and rediscover something good.

I awed in wonder of the greatness and power of Edinburgh castle, but my heart was touched by the humble presence of its little chapel, St. Margareth. A living proof that love indeed stand the test of time.

I wowed the grandeur of Holyrood House Palace and envied royal life. But as I lied down at the grass lawn I saw the perfectly blue sky and thought to myself, I'm lucky to be alive and free and to have the resources to see all of these wonderful things.

I saw Arthur's seat from afar and I failed setting foot on it. But as I tried my best to go there, I enjoyed the richness of nature's art thru its horizons, the gentleness of life as the wind whispers its lullaby to the grasses and the power to last forever thru these volcanic rocks. It was humbling and liberating.

As for new things to learn, I have learned to
1. Get an All Day pass to save travel money.
2. Buy ready-to-eat food and microwave them, it saves you a lot. But reward yourself with fine dining once in a while.
3. People are nice and warm. You just have to give them a chance.
4. Any form of help could change a person's mood in an instant and if you're lucky, that instant could occupy a whole page in that person's diary.
5. Life is worth living...so live it the best you can, today!

So, Scotland, farewell and adieu~

I will share my extra-ordinary experience as I walked along the path that led me to Rosslyn Chapel.

More than thirty-seven collegiate churches were built in Scotland between the reigns of James I and James IV (1406-1513). They were secular foundations intended to spread intellectual and spiritual knowledge, and the extravagance of their construction depended on the wealth of their founder. The foundation stone was laid on St. Matthew's Day, 21st September 1446. The orientation is due East and West, marked out by the solar ray, according to the ancient tradition. A geometrical figure is usually used to regulate the proportions, and a double equilateral triangle is used in Rosslyn. The full original structure has been greatly reduced worn out by time, but the Rosslyn Chapel is still a living and servicing chapel. I mustered my internal strength and climbed up the canopy for this shot. Whew~ The things we do for love.

I've never seen such intricate carvings this old before. It is true that one can spend a lifetime (or probably hundreds of lifetimes) just to make sense of the decorations. To me, they are so grotesque and too non-catholic. I don't mean to offend but there's something daring and imposing about these carvings that it almost becomes too scary to stay inside. By now, you can guess that St. Margareth's chapel is still my fave.

The interiors of the chapel still looks very much the chapel that it should be. But what is truly amazing is all those carvings, you can find them all over. A noticeable design are leaves and roses. I'm trying to figure out by memory exactly how Dan Brown described this place. But after over 600 years, I can attest that it is grand. And it was probably meant to build for such greatness.

Here's a better view of the interiors. Unfortunately the original plans for Rosslyn have never been found or recorded, so it is open to speculation whether or not the chapel was intended to be built in its current layout. The fact the foundations for a much larger nave were excavated in the nineteenth century and can be seen today suggest grander plans were made for the chapel at its inauguration. The chapel as seen now is therefore what would have been the choir as the larger nave was never built. However as it stands today Rosslyn's asymmetry is just one of the many unique architectural features.

The sphires apex are carved of roses (Da Vinci codes was echoing in my ears..follow the roses, hahaha!)

This is a closer look at the pilar's carvings*unfortunately, I couldn't give more justice to the real one. Once again, carving is the name of he game here.

Let's go back again inside and find our holy grail! Hahahaha. Below is a pilar unlike all the rest. It was standing just to the left of a staircase leading to the templars.

This is one of those templars referred to by Dan Brown in The Da Vinci Code. The instription dates back to the 13th century.

And here is a carving, I suppose from another templar. You can see an Egyptian artistic sense. They say that SinClair family, protector of this chapel were very fond of Egypt.

Unfortunately, I didn't see anything close to the archives which show Mary Magdalene's bloodlines. But one thing I can say though that this chapel must have, once upon a time, been really secluded. Here's a look at what I had to put up on my little journey to what they say as the origin of the quest for the Holy Grail.

So, here I am, still looking sleepy. Nothing much has changed, although for a while I seriously wondered if all of these were true, so much of the questions about the details of Catholicism would further arise. But to me, it doesn't matter, because I think that the real essence of religion is that there is this One all powerful Being out there, protecting me, who has a wonderful plan for me and for the whole world. I sometimes struggle and fight with him just like any other parent, but in the end, I know that I will always go home to my Lord.

St. Giles Cathedral

The Royal Mile

Close Or Court...(Eskinita)
One thing I learned over my 5-day stay here in Edinburgh is that enclosure with 'whatever CLOSE or whatever COURT' typically are pathways through parallel streets. They are useful shortcuts, only if you know where you're going! The streets are so confusing, but it's guaranteed that you'll never get lost whatever happens!

I've been wearing this tee for quite a while but nobody seem to notice its discreet humor....until yesterday when the lady at the entrace of St. Gildes Cathedral complimented me about it. She said she likes it very much!

Made me smile~ Finally, someone got it! Hahaha

I know exactly where I was going. I've looked at Edinburgh's highest peak from the moment I step foot in Scottish land. From afar it looked small and abandoned, but it's surrounded by green and, surprisingly hills. This picture shows the half-side of my trek.

My trek was pleasant and I enjoyed listening to hip music from my iPod Nano. Every now and then, I meet and exchange smiles with fellow pilgrims (!!!).

When I looked back, a beautiful horizon greeted me. I could see the Holyrood Palace, the shoreline and the rustic old Edinburgh town were like living paintings that reward my already tired body.

I zoomed in at the edge of the lower cliff to the left of Arthur's seat and noticed this ruin which looked like a castle. It was a certain abby and it was said that people go there on pilgrimage to be healed of skin diseases. Could that abby once be the home of powerful hermits during King Arthur's time?!~ I am beginning to run my imagination wild.

But...as fate would put it, I was not bound to set eyes on King Arthur's place. As I neared the next hill towards Salisbury Craig, the path leading to the peak was closed and it was impossible to climb from where I was. The police told us that we need to encircle the hill in order to get up.

I am dead tired to spend another two hours hiking. I was not prepared for this. So..I decided, what the heck, I'd lie for a while and reward my efforts with a nap!

After that much needed rest, I decided to go by the other side of the hill where I came from and to my delight, I discovered these interesting and eerie-looking rock formation. They seem as if they are hidden sculpture of faces. Mystic isn't it?

By this time the sun was already starting to set. It was past 10pm already. I couldn't resist contemplating on the serene moment in front of me. How else could peace be drawn, if not like this? It's as if heaven and earth begin to be intimate as they come closer together. The steady wind blowing in my skin was like the angels cradling my soul. It was a wonderul feeling that I wanted to freeze it.

I failed to set foot at Arthur's seat but I found another form of peace that washed away the craziness of cosmopolitan living. It's this profound feeling of being one with nature that makes this trip truly worth while. I had a few bruises and blisters out of walking but the payback is ten-folds.

Edinburgh's oldest building is found inside the castle - St. Margareth's chapel.The building was built in the 12th century by King David I who dedicated it to his mother Margaret after her death in 1093. It is a small building around 10 foot wide and 28 foot in length, and seats about 20 people.

My hopeless romantic bones had been tickled over the beautiful love story associated with this chapel. King Malcolm was enchanted by the pious and beautiful young princess Margarethe, it was love at first sight. They got deeply in love and married and eventually became the rules of Scotland. Although they were two different people, King Malcolm whose passion was outdoor and war particularly against the English, while Queen Margareth religion and peace, their love for each other protected their marriage. When King Malcolm was killed, Queen Margareth died 4 days later in this very chapel, of broken heart. As I quietly sat down I could really feel peace and love all over this small building who mysteriously stood the test of time, standing humbly at the top of Edinburgh castle. I offered by prayers to St. Margareth (yes, she has been proclaimed Saint). I prayed for peace and good health for everyone and the kind of she found, for myself.

They're exhibiting Van Gogh...I'll definitely not miss it~ More planning to do for tomorrow.

From the Edinburgh castle, I can see a tiny glimpse of King Arthur's Seat. I was taught that it takes about 2 hours stroll to Edinburgh's highest peak and what was believed to be where the Knights of the Round Table was. I better pack up and prepare for that long stroll tomorrow.

My very first Edinburgh stroll. The sun was shining bright at 9PM?~ Geez, I feel I have not put on enough sunscreen.

Here's a nice good map of Edinburgh to help you around, if ever you'll be here ~ http://www.edinburghcastle.biz/popups/map.html

Here's an informative website of Edinburgh to help plan trips :) http://www.edinburghcastle.biz/index.html

It was everything I hoped it would be...Old castles, old stone pathways, greenery, tiny. Almost perfect. Except for the litter. I'm disappointed that people don't pick up their picnic litter. Such a disgrace to such a historically dramatic scenery.