Tourists for the Day

DD has had a yearning for sometime to visit the Queen.

So, on Saturday we got up VERY early (yawn) and caught the train to London.

First stop, The London Eye - the views was fantastic and, for a real change, it wasn't raining so it was a fab clear day. Next, over Westminster Bridge to oooh and aaah at Big Ben and Houses of Parliament. A quick turn right then up to Downing Street...I remember when you could walk right up outside and have your photo taken outside No 10. Not anymore, concrete blocks, iron gates, police with guns...a sad indication as to how times have changed. Next...another right turn up to and through St James's Park and up to Buckingham Palace.

DD thinks HRH is 'grumpy' because she didn't lift a curtain and give us a wave, especially after I explained she was 'at home' as the flag was flying. Her disappointment was soothed by watching the guards although they did little more than march a few paces and stamp their feet and hoist their bayonets from one shoulder to the next. Oh yes, and she really liked their hats. Uh oh...those will be men in uniform then!

After lunch we headed to South Kensington and visited the Natural History Museum. We really needed a full day to take everything in, so another visit sometime in the future will be needed. I tried out DS on his new reigns and he had a great time toddling amongst at all the exhibits and charming all the other visitors...he especially liked the birds, although in his respected opinion they all say 'quack'. There are so many interactive 'toys' for the kids to play with it was a hard task to tear them all away at closing time. DD and her cousins were very impressed with the dinosaurs, she just needed to be reassured that they were models and not for real.

At the end of the day it was another struggle on the tube with the pushchair, upstairs, down stairs...escalators then more stairs, back to Marylebone and back to Warwickshire. When we got off the train DD asks, "Are we back in England now?" I explain that we never left and remind her that we talked about London being the capital city of England and that's where the Queen lives etc etc. "No, no Mummy, we went on the train and it took along time so we must have left England, and now we're back where we started we must be back in England". She still won't have it, so we're going to have a map and geography lesson today - let's hope I can convince her!

It was a late night for all of us by the time we got back and after a long and busy day you'd think the kids would have had a nice lie in this morning wouldn't you? Fat chance!