E is for Edinburgh day 5 of the #A2Zchallenge

 

I remember the first time I visited Edinburgh. Our tour arrived nearby and the young people on the bus decided they'd rather go shopping, uh-huh, shopping rather than see some of the historic sights like St. Paul's Cathedral, Parliament. So when the issue came up in Edinburgh, I said, let me off.  It was around 33 degrees and drizzling... and I could have slept in the street.

I was in Edinburgh. I was strolling up the most famous street in Scotland. At one point I walked into a TINY-- what we would call in the states -- convenience store. It was about as big as my clothes closet. There was a unique umbrella with a cloth strap attached to the point. When I asked the lady behind the register how much it was (it was marked 5 pounds) she said, Oh, I couldna charge you that much for it, you see, it's soiled. I couldn't help but wonder how the same situation might have been handled in America. I hope it would have been the same...

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I still have that umbrella. It reminds me of that day on my own on the Royal Mile. I'll be returning in August and I plan to absorb every little detail. It's been seventeen years and I still remember the experience of that special place.

Scotland felt like home. It still does. I sang in a tavern for an empty bottle of Sheep Dip Scotch. I have it, too.

Is there a place that calls to your soul like that? Like you should have been born there, maybe were in a previous lifetime?

If you're participating in the A-to-zchallenge leave me a comment and I'll bop over to visit you as well. If you're just visiting, come back again. I'm glad you're here.