Wednesday, September 26, 2012

September 25, 2012  Tuesday
Woke up to more high winds and rain this morning.  The storm continues.  This is the worst September storm in 30 years.  The storm is tropical mixing with the cold air over the UK.  Apparently the clouds are 6 miles high, loaded with moisture and dumping it on the UK and remaining fairly stationary.  The rain and wind let up around 10 and we decided to try an get to Haddington where my Grandfather was born and raised.  Check with the landlady and she had not heard of any closures our way, so off we went.  Yes we did see a spot of water around.

A68
Most of the trip we had to slow down every few miles to travel through flooded roads.  The good thing was that the water wasn't too deep, but it was a worry.  When we got to Haddington the road over the bridge we were on was closed due to flooding.  The sat nav (GPS) had trouble finding an alternate route, but we were able to follow some other cars into town.  Once there we had lunch at a local, not the best we have had but okay.  After lunch we went to the town hall to see if we could get upstairs.  The security person was having lunch so we told him we would come

back after lunch.  When we came back he was very helpful.  He took us upstairs and told us what he knew about history of the town hall building.  After we had finished the tour he found some papers in his office which gave more information about the buildings history.  He told us we could go next door to the new library and make copies if we brought them back, so we did.  The old library has closed and the new library is very modern, and the archive files have also been moved there.  After wandering around for a while and visiting some shops we decided to try and see the Rossyln Chaple in Roslin.  Uneventful trip, jus train and wind.  The chapel was awesome.  Much of what Brown wrote in the Da Vinc Code has been refuted but it is still amazing.  The chapel is small but inside and outside are covered with carvings.

As we were walking around this gentleman, Ed Thomson asked if we needed any help.  And he started to tell us all about the Templers and Masons and what the carvings mean.  He had lots of stories and was very interesting.  Anyway as he finished off, we talked more about the Templars and I mentioned about what happened to the Templars.  They are still here and he is not only a Templar, but he is at the 33rd level and the grand master for southern Scotland.  Anyway after he explained the leigh lines and how several intersect right in the middle of the church he left and disappeared.  We then came joined a group who had an official guide with them.  Again lots of interesting information and stories about the church.  After the tour we asked some questions and got to talking to the guide and told us that Eddie has some views on the church which are different from the official version.  A few items of information.  There are green men all around the church giving the 4 different seasons.  The story of Christ is written in stone around the walls as well as the seven deadly sins and the seven virtues.  The guide said that since people couldn't read that churches used stone carvings to depict the bible.  He thought this is where written in stone came from.  It was hard to leave this ornate chapel.  As we started for home we happen to catch a road condition sign saying the road we had come from was experiencing flooding.  Fortunately there was an alternative, a little longer but not too far.

Over to Linda

That was a very full day!.  We didn't start until late because it was so nasty outside so we crimmed a lot into a short time.  Roy did so well driving through the flooded roads.  The Scots were getting through so we did too but it was pretty tense at times, expecially the longest flooded area which was at least a 1/2 mile.  When the big lorries passed us I wondered if we would start to float.  Most of the time you could make out the broken line down the middle of the road but there were times when the water was too high.  Poor sheep!  The water was coming out through the gaps in a stone fence about 2 feet up.  Morpeth was flooded - it flooded after we were there 4 years ago.  We'd best stay away from therre!  It was good that we were able to come home the A7 and though the roads were very narrow and twisty, they weren't flooded.

When we got to Rosslyn Chapel the computers were down and they couldn't sell us an admission ticket or tea - now cash registers.  I started talking to the couple at the next table - they were about our age.  (People our age always seem to like to talk, )  He, with a twinkle in his eye told me that the Countess of Rosslyn was in the room.  I thought he was teasing but he wasn't.  The couple lived just down the lane, on the corner.  He pointed out one of the pictures of the St.Clairs on the wall (Dukes and Duchesses of Rosslyn).  The man in the picture was a bit of a gambler and was "the man who broke the bank at Montecarlo"  Really!  It developed that my new friend was a retired fish biologist.  We learned a got deal about fish lice.  It was very interesting in spite of the fact that his wife was a bit embarrassed.  She is on the vestery for the Chapel.  The church members do not have to find money for the upkeep of the church - it is the responsiblility of the St Clair family.  Since the Dan Brown novels they must have been raking it in.  They have about 90 regular attendees.  These people were very interesting, we were fortunate to meet them

It was so good to get home to Thairn Cottage.  It is such a wonderful place.  We will hate to leave!

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