Sueldo Jaqués

They are finishing the pedestrianalisation of one of the streets in Jaca, and they have built some plaques into the stone sets to commemorate a special coinage used in this area until the 19th century.

Edinburgh

I'm having such trouble spelling the name of this city, I don't know why as I didn't before. Yesterday was Sunday and I had the whole day free. I got the bus into Prince's Street, wandered into the Royal Mile for a coffee, sat outside on a terrace and got a wet bottom as it had rained; actually it rained quite a lot yesterday, although it wasn't at all cold.
Anyway, my plan was to walk to the Botanic Gardens, but I came across the Scottish National Portrait Gallery on the way. The top floor has a gallery of 16th-17th century portraits, including one I'd not seen anywhere before of Margaret Tudor; Henry VII's elder daughter who was given in marriage to the king of Scotland. She was Mary Queen of Scot's grandmother.  The portrait is of a stout redheaded lady, her husband; I'm not sure if it's the king or her second husband, and a servant in Henry VIII's livery. Margaret has a little sprig of flowers in her dress: a carnation or pink (I think they called it a gillyflower) and rosemary (Shakespeare said rosemary for remembrance).
Unfortunately, there wasn't a postcard of it, and I can't find it online. Update: Here's a link to a blog with Margaret's story: http://garethrussellcidevant.blogspot.com.es/2010/10/october-18th-1541-death-of-margaret.html
and I've found a black and white copy of the picture:

I've had a nice reply to my enquiry to the Scottish Portrait Gallery: 

Thank you for your email enquiry regarding the painting of Margaret Tudor. It is believed that the gentleman in the portrait is Margaret’s third husband Henry Stewart, 1st Lord Methven. Yes the portrait is from the Bute Collection from Mount Stuart and as a result there has been little research done on the painting.

The painting is by an unknown artist and dates to 1535-40, painted on oil on panel. Margaret married Lord Methven in 1528 after divorcing Archibald Douglas in the same year for reasons of neglect and infidelity and so the date of the painting ties in with the identification of the gentleman as Margaret’s third husband. The date is based on the costume, particularly that of Margaret Tudor’s.

Previously the gentleman was thought to be John Stewart, Duke of Albany who was Regent of Scotland from about 1514 – 1524 before the young James V (Margaret’s son) began his majority. After losing the regency he lived mainly in France where he died in 1536. Considering Albany’s exile in France from 1524 it is unlikely that he would have sat for a portrait with the Dowager Queen at the time the portrait was painted. I’m sure you will agree the portrait is very enigmatic and there is a great deal of symbolism, the pink carnation, the purse, ink pots, gold pieces, the medal Margaret where which depicts a scene of Susanna and the Elders. It certainly merits an in depth study.

While I was in the gallery it rained, and later when I stopped in a pub for lunch (the Orchard), but I think that was the last bout of rain. In the Botanic Gardens it was damp but not actually wet.
Here are some of my photos of these lovely, fairly wild-type gardens.

Britain's biggest plant fossil

Part of the lovely Physic Gardens

I must find out what these are

amazing gates!

At the bus stop, opposite the entrance to the gardens, a baseball game in the park.

Rosslyn Chapel

I'm working in a summer school in the University of Heriot-Watt, just outside Edinburgh. I arrived on Monday and, apart from a curry supper with the other teachers on Friday night, I hadn't left the campus until today, sunday, when I got an early bus (number 25 into the city, had a quick breakfast in Costa (because it was open) and then caught bus 37-the kindly driver of the 25 found out for me-way out of town, past park and rides, past rough areas, until we were in what looked like rural Scotland. The bus driver again told me where to get off and where to catch the final bus, the number 40, which arrived a brief 10 minutes later. Arriving in the small village of Rosslyn I discovered I was too early. It was 9.30 and the café wouldn't open for 30 minutes. The morning eucharist was at 10.30; I normally go to church on a Sunday morning and this was a way to kill two birds with one stone- church service and see the famous chapel which wouldn't open for tourists until midday.
The coffee from the guest house was not good.
Then back to the chapel.
My photos can't possibly do it justice. You're not allowed to take any inside.

Here's a link to the official site: http://www.rosslynchapel.org.uk/

The service was like other Anglican eucharist, organ a bit iffy, but the interior of the building was like nothing I've seen before.

Here are some photos I've found online. If anyone doesn't want me to use them, please tell me and I'll take them off.

Short History of the Rosslyn Chapel

• In 1446 the building of the Rosslyn Chapel was started by William St. Clair or Sinclair (1410–1484) who was the 11th Baron of Roslin. When William St. Clair died in 1484, he was buried in the vault of the unfinished Chapel of Rosslyn.
• His son Oliver St. Clair never continued the building of the Chapel.
• In 1571 funds for maintenance of the Chapel stopped due to the Scottish reformation. The already badly maintained Chapel stopped being used for religious purposes.
• In 1688 the Chapel was badly damaged by an anti-Catholic mob.
• Only in the beginning of the 19^th century restoration of the chapel was started.
• In 1861 services were given again in the Chapel.
• In 2000 interest in the Rosslyn Chapel bloomed after Dan Brown published his novel 'The Davinci Code

Do you see what I mean? There can't have been more than 25 of us in this amazingly nubbly 15th century interior, listening to wonderful texts from the Song of Solomon 12: 13, 16-19, Romans 8 and the parable of the wheat and tares (weeds) from the Gospel of Matthew. It was a lovely experience.