Early in the morning, we took our Zodiacs in to Holy Island off the coast of Northumbria. This is one of the most important centers of Christianity in England. It was founded by St. Aidan from the monastery of Iona. He had been invited by King Oswald of Northumbria to bring Christianity to his people. Later, at the time of St. Cuthbert, the famous Lindisfarne gospels were written now to be seen in the British Museum in London. Famously, the monastery was attacked by Vikings in the 9th Century. With the fine weather continuing, we had a chance to walk around the island which is cut off from the mainland twice a day by the incoming tide. As in many places of pilgrimage, there were shopping opportunities and an opportunity to taste the famous Lindisfarne mead (an ancient drink made of fermented honey). Local fishermen were bringing in fresh catches of crab for pub lunch sandwiches. The photo shows the remains of the medieval monastery which was in continuous use until the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII in the 1530's. Today, Lindisfarne is a center of a revival of interest in Celtic Christianity.