Perhaps it was a shame that the Scots' concept of "hospitable climates" has perforce been rather broad ...
Skara Brae and the Ring of Brodgar are in my sights for a Britain trip that may materialize in 2025, between total solar eclipse trips. (2024 will be a road trip to the Texas Hill Country.)
I visited four henges in England on my 2014 family history "victory lap." I didn't think the freeway spoiled Stonehenge, but, speaking as someone who likes to commune with things like that (crazy hippie!), it was the least "friendly" of the four. I got a sense Stonehenge has had it up to here with tourists, while Avebury is happy to see you. The Castlerigg Stone Circle (irregular and a thousand years older than Stonehenge) near Keswick in the Lakes District is warm and welcoming, too. But it was the Mayburgh Henge, an earthen and stone henge a tad south of Penrith, that felt like a cathedral.
Well, in all my years of living and being raised Panama, little did I know that the Scots had an expedition to Panama! wow! I knew about the original Caledonia expedition, but not about the New Caledonia!
That’s pretty amazing. The failure of that expedition changed world history. It united Britain, accelerated Scottish emigration, they came to the US, etc. Have you ever been to the Darien region?
Perhaps it was a shame that the Scots' concept of "hospitable climates" has perforce been rather broad ...
Skara Brae and the Ring of Brodgar are in my sights for a Britain trip that may materialize in 2025, between total solar eclipse trips. (2024 will be a road trip to the Texas Hill Country.)
I visited four henges in England on my 2014 family history "victory lap." I didn't think the freeway spoiled Stonehenge, but, speaking as someone who likes to commune with things like that (crazy hippie!), it was the least "friendly" of the four. I got a sense Stonehenge has had it up to here with tourists, while Avebury is happy to see you. The Castlerigg Stone Circle (irregular and a thousand years older than Stonehenge) near Keswick in the Lakes District is warm and welcoming, too. But it was the Mayburgh Henge, an earthen and stone henge a tad south of Penrith, that felt like a cathedral.
I may bump into you in Texas. Here's a piece I wrote after the last one: https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/opinion/columns/2017/08/19/robert-graboyes-eclipsed-by-crowd/10749460007/. I mention another article in there: https://www.wired.com/story/eclipses-feel-weird/. Having seen a total solar eclipse in 1970, I had never seen any write-up that did the event justice--until I read that piece.
Well, in all my years of living and being raised Panama, little did I know that the Scots had an expedition to Panama! wow! I knew about the original Caledonia expedition, but not about the New Caledonia!
Wonderful post, Bob!
That’s pretty amazing. The failure of that expedition changed world history. It united Britain, accelerated Scottish emigration, they came to the US, etc. Have you ever been to the Darien region?