S C O T L A N D : D A Y   0

AUGUST 18 (Friday) -- U.S. to mid-air over the Atlantic Ocean

My first errand was a visit to my bank to pick up the dollars I'd had changed to Scottish pounds. There I had a wonderful time listening to bank employees tell me how boring American money appeared by comparison.

I spent the afternoon pleasantly engaged in the task of secreting bills in various unusual places on my person. Then I sat around Dulles Airport for several hours, wondering what essential items I'd forgotten to pack. I stopped worrying when I got the cheap thrill of seeing that James Burke (former BBC science news reader and host of the television programs The Day the Universe Changed and Connections) was boarding my flight at the last minute.

He was lucky--I didn't wind up sitting next to him.