By the time that I reached Inverness on Sunday night - I was more than a mess.  I had been in the same clothes since Thursday morning.  I had stressed myself silly with worry over my suitcase - was it travelling with me to Amsterdam, or had it been sent to Manchester where I might never find it until I took the train down there to retrieve it?  The airport in Amsterdam was entertaining - but not for the entire seven hours I had to wait there.  "Go out and see Amsterdam, " said the young woman behind the counter.  I didn't dare risk getting lost and missing another connection...and I was so mentally tired I wasn't focusing.

The Inverness airport is very small.  LIke a large hangar divided into a couple of sections.  I was the last person through customs behind a young brother and sister from China who spoke no English.  They were in Inverness (?) for a tennis tournament but they had no idea where it was or how to even say the name of it.  The girl kept handing her cell phone to the customs agent.  It took them awhile to sort it out.

THERE WAS MY SUITCASE!  (yay)  I made my way with all my stuff out to the the taxi stand and - get out of dodge - the only guy waiting there was from Lansing, Michigan.  He teaches Environmental Economics at State and he had never been to Scotland either.  We shared a cab into town with a driver who gave us a history lecture the entire way.

I am  now where I'm supposed to be - having a productive time and totally enamored with the scenery.  The days are full of companionship and work.  More about that later.  It is past midnight and I need to get some sleep even though it looks like it is about 7:30 pm here.  (Did I mention there is no "darktime" here.)  Night all.