London!

When my Aunt Judy first brought me to London, 27 years ago, I knew it would become a city to visit again and again, for I loved it so!  When I then studied in Scotland my junior year of college, I was fortunate enough to visit two different times.  Fast forward to 2000, just after Jeff and I got engaged in Denmark, we came to London to meet up with my parents and share the joy of our engagement.  So imagine my excitement when I knew we could bring our kids here, at the end of 2019!

Since December 5, Paris trains have been on strike.  This made getting to London tricky.  We had to watch and see which Eurostar trains would be running.  Because even through Eurostar is an English train system, they run on the French rails, which are maintained by the striking unions.  So on any given day only a few Eurostar trains run.  We were lucky in that our 11:13 a.m. train on December 10 was not canceled.  But many others were.

So we met up with Jeff's coworkers, Jim, Shelly, and Mike, and headed to London via the Chunnel.  While Will was still disappointed that it wasn't actually a glass tunnel in which you could see fish and sunken ships, he still enjoyed the high speed experience.  We disembarked in London, a mere 2.5 hours later, and headed to passport control.  Because we have been in France, and only visiting countries that are part of the Schengen agreement, we have moved easily through borders.  But since England isn't covered by this agreement, we were questioned, inspected, and stamped before heading into London.

Ready for departure!

We are under water!

The only fish we saw was Will.

Obligatory train picture.

First taxi ride was advertising one of my favorite musicals!

Will loved the backwards-facing jump seat.

We quickly dropped our bags off at hour hotel and dashed to the London Eye for our tour.  What a great way to see the city, from up above!  It takes 30 minutes to make a full rotation.  The wind and height didn't seem to bother the youngest travelers among us.  After that we were surprised to see the sunset at 3:51 p.m.  That didn't stop us from exploring!

The London Eye 

One of my favorite family pictures from this year.

A view from below.

Edy, Will, and Shelly on the London Eye.

The whole crew - Mike, Betsy, Jim, Will, Edy, Shelly, and Jeff.

Parliament and Big Ben.

I enjoyed some mulled wine while walking around.

We headed for a short walk to see Big Ben and Parliament, before heading to Westminster Abbey.  We got to Westminster just in time to buy tickets for the last tour.  I had forgotten so much since I last visited in 1993.  While the inside is impressive and grand, seeing everyone buried or memorialized there really touched me - Stephen Hawking, Edmond Haley, Nelson Mandela, William Shakespeare, Issac Newton, Charles Darwin...

My favorite - bagpipes!

Thank you for the reminder!

Westminster Abbey

 

We then walked as close as we could to 10 Downing Street before taking the London Underground for the first time.  We all collapsed into plates full of fish and chips at the hotel restaurant before heading to bed.  A great first day!

Ah, Winston...

Edy using her cell phone in the famous red telephone booths.

Will!

The London Underground

Best dinner:  Stella, Fish and Chips, Mashed Peas

On Wednesday, we did a fabulous tour where we got to see the changing of the horse guard as well as the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.  On the tour, we got to walk through St. James Park.  I had forgotten all the unique water fowl.  We also saw the gardeners busy at work, tending the flower beds.  They replace the flowers every 6-8 weeks!

Heading to the Underground at Tower Hill.

Every morning the staff at the Tower Hill station greeted us with fun jokes.

World War I Memorial - Will, Jeff, Jim, and Mike.

St. James Park

We took a selfie with the Queen, whose home is right behind us.

The bright spot in our day!

Headed out on our tour.

Up first, the changing of the horse guard.

The ceremony was even more impressive that day because the Queen was in residence at Buckingham Palace.
She is only at Buckingham Palace 3-4 days a month.  

The gardeners hard at work.

The famous view down The Mall.

Clarance House, where Prince Charles lives.

Next to Clarence House, on the left is where movies portraying Buckingham Palace are filmed (ex: The Crown).
It also houses the palace's wine.  

Buckingham Palace

Changing of the Guard Ceremony

Looking over at the Queen Victoria Memorial

Mike, Betsy, Edy, Will, Jeff, Shelly, Jim

Only one person is smiling in this picture.

We then headed over the Piccadilly Circus to grab lunch.  After quickly peeking into Fortnum and Mason, we grabbed lunch at BAFTA.  We were all in need of a much-needed break and were greeted with many tasty treats from this cafe.  We tried some unique sandwiches, as well as mince pie and Christmas cake.

The famous Fortnum and Mason food store.

An amazing lunch at BAFTA - British Academy of Film, and Television Arts.

Piccadilly Circus

We then headed to the most highly anticipated attraction by the men of our group - Churchill's War Rooms.  In addition to the bunker being command central for Churchill during WWII, it also included an amazing museum about Churchill's life.  What a remarkable man!  My favorite quote, and there were many, "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat."  That he did.  That he did.

Heading down to the bunker.

One of the many rooms where strategy was discussed.

Since it might be days before the people in the bunker went outside, there was always a sign indication the weather above.

Chart explaining the different alarms.

Like Will, Churchill enjoyed playing with army men.  

Map Room

It was someone's job to every day move the pins that marked the maps.  

Command central - Notice all the phones!

Churchill's private office.

From there we divided up and I took the kids to Waterstones, a favorite book store, for the selfish pursuit of exploring British titles and authors of books to bring back to my elementary classroom.  The kids were easily engrossed in their own books.  We luckily made it out and only spent 36 pounds.  We then went back to Fortnum and Mason where I stocked up on some traditional British treats to try at Christmas time - St. James Cake, Christmas Biscuits and something called Shimmering Strawberry Preserves.  We met back up with everyone and had dinner at a wonderful British pub.  Some of us expanded and tried a chicken, leek and brie pie, while others of us still haven't had enough fish and chips.

London lit up at night.

Fortum and Mason at night.

I love the Underground signs. 

Headed to dinner.

Chicken, Leek, and Brie pie.

Buddies - Jim and Edy.

Thursday we woke up early so we could be at the Tower of London for the ceremonial "unlocking" of the castle.  Our guide made sure we were not only the first ones in the castle but also the first ones to see the Crown Jewels!  We had a wonderful time learning about the history of the tower - poor Anne Boleyn; meeting the famous ravens that keep it company; and seeing enough armor to keep Will happy.

Tower of London - it is not just a tower but a fortress surrounding many buildings.  

Waiting to go in.  

A quick peek at The Tower Bridge

Just outside the walls.

A Yeomen Warders welcomed us.  They are the Queens Guard.
They were previously known as Beefeaters, because they were paid in beef.
This one also nicknamed someone "Two-hat Will."  

The arrival of the keys.

The soldiers join up with the Yeomen Warder carrying the keys.

I love this picture because it combines the old (The Tower) and the new (an airplane),
Also present on the top pillar is one of seven ravens that live at the Tower.  

The Crown Jewels are housed here.  No pictures were allowed. 

This man's job is to take care of the seven ravens that live at the Tower.
It is believed that they protect the Tower and the Crown.    

The White Tower, a building within the walls.  

Don't smile!

Yeomen Warders

The Tower of London is owned by the queen and she can live here if she wanted to, though she prefers Buckingham Palace. There is a guard protecting it at all times, just in case she changes her mind...   

Another view

This is commemorating where Anne Boleyn and others lost their heads.  

Recreation of Edward I's bed chamber.

The ravens' home.

The White Tower

When kings traveled this took this travel alter with them.  The hand shows you how small it is.  

Ready for battle!

Our tour guided pointed out how skinny King Henry VIII was early in his reign.  This did not last.  

Example of medieval armor.  

We then all separated for the afternoon.  The girls went off to walk the Tower Bridge, visit St. Paul's Cathedral, and have tea at the Dorchester Hotel.  We also took a peek in Harrods.  (Did you know that 19 years ago, after I had gotten engaged to Jeff, I tried on wedding dresses there?)  The boys stayed a bit longer at the Tower of London, also walked the Tower Bridge, and visited the HMS Belfast.

The boys - Jim, Will, Mike, and Jeff

The girls - Shelly, Edy, and Betsy

I did not get any pictures of the outside of St. Paul's cathedral.  These few pictures inside are of the
WWII Memorial and unique crosses on display. 

Inside St. Paul's Cathedral

The Dorchester for afternoon tea.

First Course - a variety of finger sandwiches.

Second course - Scones

Third course - dessert

Wonderful!

Harrods all lit up!

Meanwhile, Jeff and Will visited the HMS Belfast.

The day couldn't have been more quintessential until.... I had my wallet stollen.  You may remember from my trip to Amsterdam that this isn't the first time I have had something stolen.  But I have learned a lot since then.  So once I retraced my steps, asked a store clerk to look at the store video footage, and realized it truly was gone, I took a deep breath a thought three things.  First, no one in our party was sick, injured, or in the hospital.  Second, we are still in London, one of my favorite cities in the world.  Third, thank goodness it wasn't my cell phone or our passports.

Unfortunately Edy and I didn't have a single pound between us or a credit card to buy tube tickets home.  So we went to the nearest Underground station, found a nice Bobbie, who not only got us free train tickets back to our hotel, but also helped me report my stolen wallet to the police.  I have yet to shed a tear or be angry.  The life of a traveler.

The next day was our most ambitious day.  We had decided to leave the city and go to Stonehenge.  So we took a taxi to a rental car facility.  We rented the car, drove 2.5 hours to Salisbury where we then got on a bus to Stonehenge.

I had to admit that Stonehenge has never fascinated me like it has others I know.  I had always just thought it was a bunch of rocks in a field.  And while that is ultimately what it is, there is so much history surrounding the site.  The new Visitor's Center, 3 km from Stonehenge brought us back to the time it was created.  We got to see models of how it evolved overtime.  As you then approached Stonehenge, you really understood what a marvelous feat this was to complete!  The weather made for some spectacular photos that day.

Ice cream before we see Stonehenge.

Will, could you live here?

Mike, Jim, Shelly, Jeff

When planning our day out of London, we had been ambitious in thinking we could also visit Bath.  But once we were done with the stones we realized that this might be too much.  Besides, Salisbury had a lot to offer.  Salisbury has one of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen, and I have seen many this year.  Salisbury also has one only four Magna Cartas remaining.  So we went to see that!

Salisbury

Salisbury Cathedral, once known as Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary

You couldn't actually take any photos of the Magna Carta.  Here is a print of it that I bought in the gift shop.  It was written in 1215 with the purpose of limiting the king's powers, stating that no person is above the law.  This document has been important in creating other documents around the world, like the American Constitution. It continues to stand as a symbol of civil rights for all

Inside Salisbury Cathedral

The baptismal font. 

Votive candles along the sides of the church.

After we drove back to London, dropped off the car, and took a taxi back to our hotel,
we ate a quick dinner before collapsing into bed again.

Saturday was our last full day in London.  We started the morning off all together with a tour of Parliament.  This was particularly interesting given that there was an election just two days before.  The Conservative party won, with many new members of parliament elected to the House of Commons.  Their Parliament is made of of two houses - the House of Commons and House of Lords.  With this election, Boris Johnson was again named the Prime Minister.  Because of this, it looks like Britain will leave the EU.

Taking the Underground to Parliament - Shelly, Jim, and Will.

Big Ben is under all that scaffolding.  

I snapped this picture before I realized I wasn't allowed to.  This is our tour guide introducing himself and
pointing out one of the many rooms members of parliament gather.

The Parliament building itself used to be a palace.  This is the great hall of that palace.
 It is now where many dignitaries lie in state after they die.  

We then all separated and did our own things for the afternoon.  I took Will to the Imperial War Museum where they had a great deal of history on WWI and WWII.  Afterwards, we were drawn to the Hotel Savoy to explore their Lego exhibit.  After exploring and creating, Will said he wanted to buy me a similar wallet to the one I had stollen.  So we went to Burberry, where he enjoyed a beverage with the sales associate, while he shopped for a new wallet.  We then met up with Edy and Jeff, who had gone to The National Gallery.  I then took Edy and Will to the much anticipated London Transportation Museum. 

Imperial War Museum 

Will and Shelly just hanging out.

Inside the Imperial War Museum.

For those of you that have read "The War that Saved My Life," this is a model
of the shelters the British hid in when the sirens went off.   

On this boat, several people survived at sea for 10 weeks, after their ship went down.

On our way to Burberry, we saw this Lego exhibit at the Hotel Savoy.  
Will had to go on a scavenger hunt for the 12 days of Lego Christmas.  

This is one of the displays outside.  The green are just bricks mixed thrown in with the bushes.  

The final task was to built something out of Legos and in turn,
Lego would donate to a child in need.  

Will's creation.

Shopping at Burberry, while enjoying a Coke.

London Transportation Museum

Our final night in London all together, ended with the Broadway musical "Come From Away."  Those of you not familiar with the show, it takes place on September 11, 2001.  It is the story of 38 planes being grounded in Gander, Newfoundland.  Gander only has a population of 10,000.  Within hours of the attack on the World Trade Centers, 7,000 people descended upon this town, scared and alone.  The people opened their hearts and homes to these individuals and in some cases created lasting relationships.  The cast was only 12 individuals, with a very simple stage of tables and chairs.  The 12 cast members went back and forth between playing the townspeople of Gander and those stranded.  It was an incredible musical.

The neighborhoods light up, just as they do in Paris.  

Our theater.

The stage for "Come From Away."

Jeff, Jim, and Mike

Edy, Will, and Shelly

Obligatory poster picture - Mike, Shelly, Jim, and Jeff.

On our last morning in London, we decided to all sleep in a bit before heading out for one last walk around. We went down the the Thames River before walking the top part of the Tower Bridge and seeing the engine room.  You will notice below that the boats on the Thames River anchor themselves out from the shore.  That is because the tide goes in and out and they don't want to get stranded.   We then headed to King Cross to grab a quick glance at platform 9 3/4 before heading to St. Pancreas to board the Eurostar back to Paris.

The kids love any excuse to walk on sand.

The glass ceiling on the top floor of the Tower Bridge. 

View from the Tower Bridge.

Always the comedian.

The engine room.

King's Cross Station

There was a queue to take photos.  So we snuck in on the side to grab a quick picture. 

Off to Hogwarts!

Finally, you know it was a good trip when the kids are doubled over with exhaustion on the way home.

We arrived back to Paris exhausted yet grateful for the time we had together as a family and with friends.  We were also welcomed home to a traffic standstill as well.  It ended up taking us over two hours to get a taxi to go home from Gare du Nord due to the transit strike.  Once we got in a taxi, we misunderstood the driver, who had us piled in with two other parties.  We thought he was headed to the 16th arrondissement, but instead he was headed to the 6th arrondissement.  Needless to say it was another hour until we were home.  In all, it took us longer to travel 8 kilometers in Paris than to go from London to Paris via the Eurostar train.  

London proved a great way to end our 2019 travels!  We continue to be grateful for this time together and especially for the opportunity to travel.  A special shout-out to Shelly, Mike, and Jim for traveling with us.  We loved the time together!

Betsy