The ending of an American tourist falling in love with a stranger because he was ‘so handsome’

Carrin Schottler stood in front of the Tower of London, a more than 900-year-old fortress on the banks of the Thames River, trying to listen to British historical stories with white stone towers, ancient armor and flocks of crows flying around the citadel. In the tour group of about a dozen people, the tour guide enthusiastically explained, but Carrin was completely distracted. Her eyes were drawn to a man who was also on the same tour.

“He was so handsome, my heart skipped a beat,” recalled a 20-year-old female tourist from New York, USA. The boy she likes wears white shirts, loose blazers and neat pants – a style that is completely different from American boys of Carrin’s age in her home country.

The meeting took place in September 1994, when Carrin went to England on a one-semester exchange program. In her free time, she and her best friend Heather signed up for a tour to visit the Tower of London. Here, she was quickly attracted to Paul Thal, a 23-year-old student from Sweden, studying in Manchester and going to London for a weekend trip.

When Carrin stood next to him and smiled, Paul smiled back. They started chatting. “When we talked, I felt very comfortable and let everything happen naturally,” he said.

The Tower of London has about 35 Yeoman Warders, Royal guards in traditional red and blue uniform. Taking photos with them is an indispensable experience for tourists. At the end of the tour, Carrin and Paul took turns standing between two Yeoman Warders to take commemorative photos.

The young couple’s excitement quickly caught the eyes of the experienced guards. The Yeoman Warders noticed Carrin’s feelings and encouraged her. Encouraged, Carrin mustered up the courage to offer to take Paul on a tour of London if he wanted. Paul agreed immediately.

They walked across Tower Bridge together, where Heather took a photo of the two of them. “I left the Tower of London knowing almost nothing about this place,” Carrin said, but in return, she had a dream date.

That evening, Carrin and Paul arranged to meet at Piccadilly Circus. Under the bright advertising lights, amidst the hustle and bustle of people around the Shaftesbury memorial, Carrin stood waiting for Paul. When I saw him coming, the good feelings of the day immediately returned. Paul was still in his familiar blazer, while Carrin changed into a short skirt and block heels – a popular fashion in the 1990s.

Paul gave her a bouquet of flowers. They went into the cafe to chat for hours. “He drank five cups of coffee, I don’t know if it was because he was too stressed,” Carrin said with a laugh. When the shyness disappeared, they walked around London together late into the night. Paul took Carrin to the dormitory near Regent Park, where the rose garden was in full bloom.

Years later, the scent of roses still reminds Carrin of that moment – the moment she realized she loved Paul.

After that, the two kept in touch and quickly became close. Every weekend, they meet each other and explore England together. In November 1994, when Carrin was homesick because he missed Thanksgiving, Paul bought a turkey and prepared dinner in his dormitory in Manchester. The chicken was grilled too long because his roommate forgot to take it out of the oven, but for Carrin, it was still a warm and memorable dinner.

At the end of the year, Carrin returned to America. Before breaking up, Paul invited her to Sweden to visit his family. Carrin quickly fell in love with her boyfriend’s family. “The moment I knew I wanted to marry Paul was when I saw how gently he took care of his grandmother,” she said.

Love is getting stronger and stronger, but both are at a crossroads. Carrin returned to the US to pursue a medical career, while Paul continued to study in Europe. “We don’t have big plans, just hopes,” Paul said.

In 1995-1996, the two continuously went back and forth between the US and Sweden. In the summer of 1996, while trekking in Norway, they thought about marriage. In October of the same year, Paul moved to New York to work near Carrin.

In the summer of 1998, they got married in America. Carrin took her husband’s surname, becoming Carrin Schottler-Thal. The wedding brought together Paul’s family from Sweden and his old friends. The wedding flowers are yellow roses – reminiscent of the rose garden in Regent Park in the past. The banquet tables were named after places in England where they used to go together, instead of being numbered sequentially as is traditional.

After the wedding, Carrin and his wife lived in Albany, New York. Life was happy but busy when Paul often worked and Carrin studied as a resident doctor. After the terrorist attacks on America on September 11, 2001 and when Paul’s company went bankrupt, they decided to build a more stable life in Albany.

Currently, Carrin and Paul live with their 16-year-old son with autism. The family still regularly returns to Sweden to visit relatives.

A few years ago, they took their son back to London, walking through Piccadilly Circus and the old streets. The Tower of London has not yet been visited, but the two hope to return one day, to see if the Royal guards who “pushed the boat” for them that year are still there or not.

“It was a gentle, peaceful but exciting time,” Paul said about the love affair that began with a seemingly normal tour.