Epilogue London 2026

What a great trip on so many levels. Wonderful to be able to travel, wonderful to be in Marleybone, our UK home, and wonderful to see Paul’s accomplishments realized.

We all get along so well traveling together. It’s easy and fun and no one gets pissy about anything. Staying at the hotel instead of the apartment was lovely. Same neighborhood and a very homey feel. London is an easy city to navigate, and we found a Mayo Clinic just around the corner. Good to know!

Seeing the university Paul attended and all of his classmates was a real eye opener. So different than an American university. Much more refined and cultured, heavy on the elegance and tradition and set inside one of London’s Royal Parks. A real cultural experience. His classmates were from all over the world with very different lifestyles and dispositions. A real education in becoming a citizen of the world. For that alone it was worth the investment. He will be forever changed and more open to diversity and different lifestyles. The kind of mind expansion you hope for at college.

Taking cabs everywhere was lovely. We never got stuck in traffic (one of the blessings of summer), and we had many interesting drivers. We were heavy on the great food this trip which is always a plus for me. Because it was our fourth trip, we had seen the sights and were content to just walk around, pop into shops, have a coffee and relax.

London is very different seasonally. Americans visit between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Arab nations love the summer, and we’d probably get a chance to see more Englishmen in February. The country (and Europe) is in a severe drought and Hyde Park looked like a hayfield. The Danube is so low that river cruises need to be bussed. Spain and France are on fire. But no need to worry about climate change.

Everyone we spoke to is so sad at what has become of America. I am currently burying my head in the sand – I’ve got bigger fish to fry right now. It is awful reading the European press and talking to average Joe’s. It makes me so ashamed and sad.

However, the trip was lovely, Paul is on the next stage of his life, and we are home safely. The garden is in great shape and Lillian is delighted to have her parents to boss around.