a new series

In May I spent three weeks traipsing throughout the United Kingdom, exploring medieval castles, ancient ruins, quaint pubs, centuries-old cities and falling very much in love with it all!

The cathartic atmosphere of Celtic art became real through the epic beauty of the Scottish Highlands and the sacred isolation at the Isle of Iona; the stories that to me had seemed entirely fantastical - such as Rowling's parallel magical world and even Doyle's rainy conundrums - became well-founded as I walked under the dark architecture in Edinburgh and sat in the yellow warmth of its pubs. In England the poetry and the paintings of Romantics became absolutely appropriate to the pastoral beauty in the Lake District, and a balance of modernism and old-world mystery created the sense of endless potential in London.

The next few posts will concern these adventures, including snippets from my journals and (of course!) a sampling of photos!