The Times of London

One's days so often seems to get bound up in the mundane obligations of body, soul and treading water of home chores and financial practicality. Or so it seems to me.

Enter Grant and Kaileen as they exchange greetings of "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year" with Sue at Kaileen's parent's home in The Woodlands at the tail end of 2023 - and speaking of a Happy New Year, "Would y'all like to join us in Scotland next summer? Think about it."

Sue, being heavy on spontaneity, replied, "Yes! We will!" 

"We're going to Scotland with Grant and Kaileen this summer." Or, so I was told a bit later while I was in Washington putting the finishing touches on our new house under the final phases of construction in January. Thus ended what was looking like another year of mundane obligations to chores and practical upkeep of body, soul and the dual home improvement bind of the last three years. This is something different. 

Let's go to Scotland. Inga got wind of the holiday and committed to join us for a complete Suneson Family UK shoot-from-the-hip, go wild adventure.

Not untypical of our grand adventure planning, we had the overall idea of a trip - but honestly, not much was done in practical planning for an international trip up until about a month before the scheduled late June, 2024 rendezvous in Edinburgh, Scotland. 

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Cut to the chase: Most everything got figured out and paid for. I opted to fly directly from Dallas to London: easier, cheaper than Edinburgh and we could recover from any jetlag with our 3 days in London before we took a train north to meet Grant, Kaileen and Inga in Edinburgh as originally planned. Sue and I were off on a flight from DFW Airport for a direct flight to London Heathrow at 9:30 PM arriving a little after noon on June 18th London time.

The sleep we planned to get on the way over never caught up with us. I had booked a hotel north of Hyde Park, a neighborhood of London where I had stayed on business many years ago. We found a representative of The Underground at Heathrow, bought an 'Oyster Card' to swipe at the turnstile to grant us passage on their trains, picked up a map of The Tube, hauled our luggage to the platform (always mindful of the gap) and boarded the Piccadilly line, transferred to the Circle Line and got off at Bayswater Station and walked three blocks to our hotel. Easy (except for the 1 time we got on a train going the wrong direction). 

Look right! Before crossing a London Street

Kaileen, the consummate planner, suggested that since we overlapped in London for that day, that we meet for dinner. I had suggested the Churchill Arms for dinner and drinks (shout out on this recommendation by Dave 'The Red' Ewing). Kaileen had independently of me also planned to stop in at the Churchill Arms. What a coincidence! Things looked like they were going swimmingly, everyone wants to get a pint and Thai food at the Churchill Arms. May it be so!

Sue and I stroll across Hyde Park in the long afternoon light, coming out on the south side of the park and connect with Grant and Kaileen staying nearby.

We found The Churchill Arms. 

Bowers of Flowers announce The Churchill Arms facade

Thirsty patrons cue up outside The Churchill Arms. Our Party is on the left.

The prodigious display of botany carries through onto the inside of the pub. 

Cheers! To a jolly good beginning in London Town. Great to start off the time with Kaileen and Grant - who kind of got the whole thing started.

Three Cheers!