In doing research on how to experience London just right, I read mixed reviews regarding the changing of the guards. I decided that it was a "must do" activity, so after trains and subways, we arrived at Buckingham Palace,with what appeared to be every other tourist who could possibly be in London. I immediately agreed with it's mixed review status. While snug deep in the crowds, we knew that things were happening, could sort of hear it, but could not see it. I handed my kids my camera and told them to wind their way through the forest of legs to the front of the pack. Most everyone is sympathetic to little ones, so this turned out to be our best plan. I just hoped that I would see my children and my camera again. They took photos of what they could see, and while doing so, experienced the pomp and circumstance that surrounds London's iconic ceremony.
We spent the rest of the mid-day wandering around London, ending up in one favorite spot after another, checking off this city's famous sites along the way. We Popped into Harrods Department Store. We knew that we weren't there to really shop, so we looked at the directory and found the departments that we thought the kids would appreciate the most. We ended up in the Pet Spa. The kids watched as a very pampered kitten was groomed. We laughed at different products that could be found here, like dog beer and a throne for a dog. The going price for a puppy was $10,000 and the kittens were $5,000. Surely these lucky pets were destined to live a life of luxury. We wandered through the candy section, the jewelry department and into the macaroon shop, which was so darling but photos were forbidden. I was happy that the kids understood that we were there just to window shop!
One of our favorite spots in the city turned out to be the Princess Diana Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens. The entire park is built around a Peter Pan theme, with a huge pirate ship in the middle. Only adults with children are allowed in the area and it was required that we be buzzed in. This added to the magic of the area, since there were no older children ruining the fun and the playground stayed impeccably clean.
Along the way, we looked for sites that define London, such as their unique taxis, Undergound signs, red phone booths and double decker buses. We even hopped on a bus headed to Notting Hill and climbed to the top floor just so that we could say that we did indeed ride a double decker bus!
We soon were forced to abandon our gallivanting so that we could make sure that we did everything possible to leave London having properly and responsibly experienced it! We made our way to the Tower of London, which turned out to be one of the most memorable spots in London. We enjoyed learning about the dungeon, the weapons and knights' armour, and even the black ravens that are kept in the courtyard for good luck, but it was the crown jewels that were most impressive. Unfortunately no photos were allowed, but the crowns, staffs and jewelery that are worn and used during coronations will be in our memory for a long time. The kids were intrigued by their size and beauty and even had to go back to have a look at the jewels a second time before we left the gallery.
We ate dinner at Waga Mammas, which immediately became a contender for Pret Manger, and then headed over to the Tower Bridge. We had a great view of it from the Thames River and then we walked the length of the bridge, enjoying once again being in such a famous world landmark.
Our last activity of the day was to ride on the London Eye. It turned out that we timed our day just perfectly. We arrived at the London Eye at dusk. The ride was about 45 minutes, so by the time we had circled above London's skyline, the lights had turned on, creating a gorgeous view of the city. While above London, the kids located landmarks where we had been, using the computers in the Eye. The computers not only helped locate the sites, but also provided information as well, which made the experience even more worth while.
We had completely worn ourselves out, so we hopped on the trains and headed back to Twickenham Station, tired but full of good memories.
2 comments:
Those are some great pictures of your family at the base of the London Eye and of Emilie and Mia at Kensington Gardents. I also like the picture of the police officer at the changing of the guard.
What a day! You have such a talent at mixing must-see sights with things kids would like, such as the kitty spa and the Princess Diana garden. Jonny talks about the importance of "balance" in planning a perfect trip. Your days reflect that sense of balance. Jonny and Dad both despair of my "more is more" lack of balance--I can still improve.
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