Ron found the Orkney Islands on a map once -- so far off the Northeast coast of Scotland that some maps don't even include them. He decided we should go there. After some research, we decided there was a lot to see and do, and the destination was weird enough that it appealed to us. We combined it with four nights in Edinburgh, a return visit we had promised ourselves after being there in 2001.

The week leading up to our departure for this trip didn't leave much time for excited anticipation. Regina left for two days in Chicago on the same day that workers arrived to tear out our kitchen counters and cooktop (entailing disconnecting the sink, the dishwasher and the garbage disposal). Regina was dragged into meeting after meeting at work, while Ron tried to combine the priorities of his consulting work with supervising work on the house and doing all the last-minute things that had to be done before the trip.

But, we got things done, the big day arrived at last and we left on a morning flight to Chicago, and from there connected to our daytime flight to London, which landed at 10:30 PM GMT. We soon found the bus to our hotel, using flawless directions from our friends on the Internet.

We didn't think we'd be able to sleep since it was only about 5:00 PM our time. But, after watching a little CNN and turning out the lights, we were lulled to sleep by the feel of fresh, crisp sheets... but then we were rudely awakened much too early for our 7 AM flights to the Orkneys. Fortunately, we'd left our big bags in the care of the airlines overnight, so we just gathered up our few carry-on items and checked out of the hotel. This leg of the trip started with a flight from Heathrow to Edinburgh. Then there was a two-hour wait, that stretched out to over three hours, for our flight to Kirkwall.

Safely arrived and only slightly exhausted, we immediately began our sight-seeing. Top left -- we are near the ruins of the castle at Rosslyn Chapel. Regina bought the hat in a Red Cross second-hand shop in Kirkwall. It was hand-knitted, warm and perfect for the weather we encountered.

Bottom: The Orkney version of a "No smoking" sign, taken from inside the bus to the airport.

More on both subjects later.