A Romance Author's Vacation...Part II

Continuing up the road…We saw a lot of historical and fascinating scenes in London including Westminster, the Tower of London, Big Ben, and The Eye.  I also got a big thrill passing the MI5 and MI6 fortresses.  This is similar to the FBI and CIA of the US.  The US and England work closely together.  I’ll keep that in mind for my next book-that’s a hint!

Going north in England we stopped at Anne Hathaway’s home, complete with Old English roses everywhere.  The stop at William Shakespeare’s home was enchanting.  His home was anything but grand compared to today’s formula for an exquisite home, yet the small and simple style of life did hold its own charm.

Headed to Glasgow, Scotland brought a whole new meaning to witchcraft.  A book store represented itself with a devil sitting at a desk.  Hundreds of years ago, those who could read and write were considered possessed or having bad magic, so they were represented by the devil as so few people knew this great art.

A visit to Edinburgh Castle was mystical.  The cobbles and stones covering the ground between castle rooms and buildings were if varying styles, bricks, cobbles, and large stones.  The type of footing depicted the year they were laid. 

 A final item for viewing pleasure before I let you go was the bagpiper.  Leading our group from a castle, down the cobblestone to the restaurant for dinner was an authentic bagpiper.  I couldn’t get a picture of the “authenticity” of his garment, but I assure you he said it was real!

I tried a sip of Scotch (smooth!) and a bit of haggis.  Who cares, right?  Haggis is a traditional dish literally made inside the skin of a sheep stomach.  The piper and a volunteer brought it on a platter to show the group.  Fortunately, when it was served the presentation overrode my distaste for the mixture of dark gut-meat and barley with wonderful seasoning.

The food got better the further from London and storylines brewed strong!

 

Every place can be an adventure, so go with it!

Dawn