The first place I stayed in Scotland was tucked back on a side street near Arthur’s Seat. My hostess was a kind woman who welcomed me into her home and showed me to my spacious room. I think it may have been my favorite out of all the places I stayed, but I had a favorite thing about each place. It was nice to have a room with a sitting area to myself where I could read or watch TV before bed if I felt like it.
In this room, near the fireplace, was a table filled with all kinds of goodies. Tea, hot chocolate, biscuits (probably not the kind you’re thinking if you are used to the sort from the American south), and a stack of books. One of the books caught my eye and I flipped through it a few times during my stay — The Scottish Clans & Their Tartans.
Six months later I was roaming the aisles of An Affair of the Heart with my mom and we made our way through one of our favorite antique booths. We both like antiques, her more than me, but I enjoy looking. In the past, any time someone asked me what I collected, I used to say “teapots” but that never caught on and it’s some trouble to store and display them in my tiny house. All the while I was collecting old books without much thought. A tiny book caught my eye as we looked through the old glassware and tea towels.
It was a different edition, much older than the one in my room in Edinburgh, and I was thrilled to find it. It’s in pretty poor condition, but I was happy to pay $7.50 for it. I didn’t flip through it until a few days ago and it was fun to find some old ads for Edinburgh businesses in the back.
I loved finding a little piece of my trip back here at home. I’ll give it a place of honor on one of my shelves, next to my growing collection of antique books.
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