ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- Jason Sobel and I duck our heads and walk into the downpour, thankful for three layers, wishing for four. It was hot Tuesday, but today, the sky is falling.
Tourists wrestle with umbrellas. They don't know the Scottish wind laughs at those who would try to escape the Scottish rain. At first, it seems like a mist -- tiny cold needles. After 15 minutes, the water soaks jackets and pants, waterlogs socks and shoes. It is unrelenting. On a side street, I look up and see a local bakery, Fisher & Donaldson, that I'd read about before arriving.
The ladies inside move up and down the counter. Peering in through the glass, they look warm. They look dry. The cases are filled with all manner of little treats, savory and sweet. We rush in, shaking off the chill.
"What's your favorite thing?" I ask.
A woman, wearing a red and white apron, smiles and suggests a fudge doughnut. She cuts it half and we take it outside. The fudge tastes like caramel and there's a creamy filling inside. It's one of those food moments that makes me stop and take everything in, making sure I'll never forget standing beneath a St. Andrews awning, the rain pitter-pattering on the canvas, church bells ringing and people speaking with a Scottish lilt.
I take a bite and close my eyes.
Then we step into the rain, going back to the course.
