Scotland, news & more

That’s it, it’s the end of this long journey through Scotland. I wanted to rediscover the country of my mother, who left to live in Chile in her early twenties (there is a short story about our family on my website www.franciscamatteoli.com). My husband and I crossed almost the entire country in a rented Mini Cooper, without making any reservations… The result: a quite unexpected trip! In every story, you will find links so as to learn more about our various discoveries. I also wrote on the pride I felt being half Scottish while observing the wonderful landscapes (so similar to some parts of Chile – as following…), learning about the Sinclair clan (my mother’s clan) which dates back to the 15th Century and partly inspired Dan Brown for his Da Vinci Code (the part in the Rosslyn Chapel…). My text on the Castle Sinclair Girnigoe, one of the historic places of the clan, also has numerous links so you can ‘virtually’ discover it. What more is there to say? It was fascinating, great fun, interesting, surprising and even loopy at times… As should be any trip. I also gave my favorite addresses, so do not hesitate to share them on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

I am now finishing my next book (my books are available on Amazon, and you can read more about these on my blog in the « Books » section – the English version follows the French one), traveling some more… and preparing another summary very soon.

Latest news.
Rosemary Neave very kindly spoke of my work and blog: www.womentravelblog.com – Rosemary is living in New Zealand and her blog is a veritable goldmine of information for women who travel, so visit it now! Moreover, Rosemary has an exquisite sense of humor and contagious energy.

…Just like my mother as when I told her one of her ancestors had emprisoned his son for 7 years in the far end of the castle, without giving him a single drop of water, she answered: « They knew how to keep ados in their place in those days! »