London Calling

Readers of this blog will know that we lost a beloved member of our E Streeters conglomeration in recent weeks, Martin Brewer, the Magic Rat who ran down Flamingo chasing the Barefoot Girl.

This past week, Barry Scanlon, my son Andrew, and I took a trip across the pond to meet Martin's UK family and Great Britain's version of the E Streeters.

It was an unforgettable, powerful, and historic trip for us.  Emotional beyond any description we can reduce to words on this blog.

But it was bonding.  We met incredible people, we experienced unforgettable sights, and we shared common memories about a dear friend taken from us way too abruptly and way too early.

In the blogs to come, I'll try to chronicle our road trip, and at the same time, introduce you to a whole new cast of characters who have inextricably become part of our extended family.

So with that, let's start night one by hoisting a pint in a London pub to Mr. Brewer, one of many that would be lifted in the days to come.

When you're far from home, it's always nice to see little glimpses of your stomping grounds, things that make you realize that as big as this world of ours is, it only takes a small reminder to make you realize it's a small world after all.

For Barry, it's Mexican food.

Anyone who knows me will understand the glorious feeling of finding what may be the only Dunkin' Donuts in the United Kingdom.

Victory.

Both of those institutions just happened to be on one of the more famous streets in London, a roadway that Andrew has been longing to get to for quite some time.

In particular, Andrew, he of literary love, especially that of the Great Detective, wanted to stop by 221B Baker Street to see the office digs of one Sherlock Holmes. 

In case you haven't picked up the clews along the way, Andrew was pretty pumped.

Finding the place was elementary, my dear Watson.
Getting Andrew away from it would be another challenge altogether. 

See you on the sunny side of London with a run for the ages!