| So you've read the book - Dan Brown's The
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| | you're the sort of person who would like
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| Da Vinci Code.
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| | some quiet time to take it all in, and to
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| Or at least heard about it.Full of myths
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| | stand before each feature described in
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| and goddesses, cyphers and secret
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| | the Da Vinci Code and examine it in
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| symbols, gothic horror, legend and
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| | detail, then you might be disappointed by
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| fantasy masquerading as history, the Da
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| | your visit.The seasoned traveller who has
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| Vinci Code has sold in the millions.And
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| | stood in the great medieval cathedrals of
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| Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland is where the
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| | Europe will probably be disappointed both
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| climatic scenes are played out.For most
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| | in the scale of the interior, and the
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| readers, Brown's description of Rosslyn
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| | lack of beauty and ambience of Rosslyn
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| Chapel is as close as they will get to
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| | Chapel.It is a strange building, but more
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| the Chapel, at least until May 2006, when
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| | odd than mysterious.
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| the film version of the Da Vinci Code is
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| | More eccentric than spiritual or
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| released.Tom Hanks and the crew have
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| | religious.
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| recently finished shooting at Rosslyn
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| | More bizarre than awe-inspiring.I found
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| Chapel, so you can look forward to some
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| | it emotionally cold and lacking in
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| great location shots.But what does a real
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| | spiritual beauty.Does Rosslyn Chapel
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| visitor to Rosslyn Chapel feel?Is it as
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| | satisfy our longing for mystery, or
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| mysterious, overwhelming and significant
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| | intrigue, or evil-doing, or
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| as The Da Vinci Code suggests?Last month
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| | centuries-long conspiracy as in the Da
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| I walked, in the footsteps of Langdon and
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| | Vinci Code?It all depends on what you
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| Sophie, through that small wooden door
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| | take into it.You'll probably see what you
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| with the simple oak sign, Roslin.The
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| | want to see.It provoked in me no
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| Chapel does have a dramatic setting,
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| | emotional response, no sense of reverence
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| somewhat ruined at present because the
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| | or inspiration. But then I regard the Da
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| Chapel is covered with a huge metal
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| | Vinci Code as sheer preposterous
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| canopy, to let it dry out.You have to
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| | nonsense.Well crafted, but a plot
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| remember that Rosslyn Chapel, built by
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| | basically lifted from other obscure and
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| Sir William St Clair in 1446 as the choir
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| | eccentric non-historical sources, riddled
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| to a planned huge Catholic church (which
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| | with errors and deliberate
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| was never completed), was stripped and
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| | misrepresentation, stitched together with
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| totally neglected for over two hundred
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| | a calculating veneer of sophistication
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| years when Scotland embraced
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| | and romance.And ultimately the Da Vinci
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| Protestantanism.So the fabric of the
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| | Code is deeply insulting and blasphemous
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| building is undergoing a huge renovation
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| | to Christians everywhere and to the
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| program to repair the damages caused by
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| | Catholic Church in particular.Is Rosslyn
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| centuries of neglect.Once inside, you're
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| | Chapel worth a visit?Well if you're in
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| immediately struck by the scale of the
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| | Scotland at any time, it's quite easy to
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| Chapel - it's somewhat smaller than your
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| | find the Chapel. It's only about an
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| imagination has painted it.Ornate doesn't
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| | hour's trip from the center of
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| begin to describe the stonework and
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| | Edinburgh.But it does get very crowded,
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| carvings, with every conceivable form of
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| | about 100,000 visitors in 2005. And this
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| figure - devils, angels, crowns of
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| | number is certain to swell when the movie
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| thorns, stars, pyramids, roses,
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| | opens.I give the final words to someone
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| elephants, green men, patriarchs ...If
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| | who perhaps knows more about Rosslyn
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| your tastes run to simple lines and
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| | Chapel than Dan Brown.Just recently Dr.
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| minimalism, then this could be your worst
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| | Andrew Sinclair, a descendant of the St
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| nightmare.Is there a spiritual or
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| | Clairs who founded Rosslyn Chapel,
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| religious experience?Depends on your
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| | condemned the Da Vinci Code as
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| concept of religion, I suppose.
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| | "preposterous, its message pernicious,
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| But it didn't work for me.It reeks more
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| | its history a bungle and a muddle".He
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| of a temple to Freemasonry than to
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| | added: "As far as I'm concerned its a
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| Christianity.If it were not for the
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| | load of rubbish. It's appalling. What it
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| mythology and legend surrounding it, you
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| | says about the grail and Rosslyn is
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| would regard Rosslyn Chapel as rather a
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| | absolute invention".But I suspect that
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| quaint and over-elaborate folly.But the
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| | Tom Hanks and the Da Vinci Code movie
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| visitor who arrives steeped in the
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| | will convince millions of gullible
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| folklore of the Holy Grail, and with a
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| | movie-goers to ignore the truth and to
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| well-thumbed copy of the Da Vinci Code in
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| | swallow the lies, distortions, and
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| hand, might well find what he or she has
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| | fabrications of Brown's novel.
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| been expecting to find.It is quite fun to
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| | After all, we do so love a good
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| watch all these multi-national visitors,
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| | conspiracy theory!As well as being a keen
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| many of them in their teens and twenties
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| | student of medieval history, author
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| in their jeans and backpacks, excitedly
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| | Brendan Forde uses his 15 years in the
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| pointing out the various well-known
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| | IT industry to source and review
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| features amongst the pillars and
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| | information and software tools to
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| carvings.Cameras flash all the time, and
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| | guarantee new levels of internet
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| the cacophany of so many foreign tongues
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| | marketing success.
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| bring to mind the Tower of Babel.So if
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