March 24, 1968

My mother saved all the letters I wrote her and my grandmother from my first trip abroad in the spring 1968, and I'm finding my impressions of Great Britain at age 21 fascinating reading.

Two days after arriving in London -- 45 years ago on this date -- I was on my way to Edinburgh:

I took the train for Edinburgh (6 hrs.), arriving about 5 p.m. Spent that night at Old Waverly Hotel on Princes St. - single room, private toilet, tea in my room that evening, and breakfast for about $7.00. Not really very nice - think they were taking advantage of my being American.

I washed my hair and wrote cards and letters and moved to Lochewe Hotel on Royal Terrace (10 minutes brisk walk) the next day (recommended in one of my student guidebooks - has folk singing Wed., Fri.-Sun. nights) - about $5.00/day for big single room (with enormously high ceiling) with sink, tea in the morning, breakfast and dinner - much nicer, very friendly. Mrs. Kelly, a well-groomed older woman, runs it - she sat in the bar and held great debates with the customers - Scottish nationalism, Viet Nam, etc.

[Edinburgh] must be the most ruggedly beautiful city in the world. The mountains are fairly steep, and are around and in the city -- great exercise walking around there! Almost all the buildings are of stone, which combined with the harsh winds and rugged landscape, impress you with the great strength necessary to live in such a place, especially in earlier times.

Another 25 years elapsed before I returned to Edinburgh, this time with my children and their father. That was in 1993; if I keep to the same schedule, expect me in 2018!