We have had the most glorious autumn weather! We took the boys into London on the Sunday of Remembrance Day. The weather was a perfect cool, crisp and sunny. We drove in and parked on Bayeswater Road next to Kensington Gardens where artists set up along the sidewalk to sell their work. The boys are dying to buy something. We took them to the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Playground to start the day, then we walked through Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, and past Green Park to Buckingham Palace.
Our boys were troopers and were entertained with leaves and sticks and sight seeing. Mike gave each a shoulder ride or two.
Around the corner in Covent Garden Mike navigated us to Café Pacífico, a MEXICAN RESTAURANT!
After lunch we walked east to St. Paul's Cathedral and then north to the Museum of London.
There were protesters camped out next to the cathedral, chilly work.
The museum tells the story of London from prehistory, to the Romans, Saxons and medieval, Tudor and Stuart. We watched a video about the plague of 1665, and then another about the Fire of London, 1666. This link has information and a game for children about the fire.
The boys are intrigued by the plague, and so am I. 100,000 London residents died, about 20% of the population. I just finished Daniel Defoe's A Journal of the Plague Year and I also want to ask my mommy over and over if this can happen to me.
To the boy's delight, the museum has examples of clothing which children wore in olden days.
I happily ignored the many heads that share these items, hoping that optimism will keep us safe from a more likely plague of lice...
Bring out yer dead!
There was a lot of Remembrance Day celebration activity. Everywhere there were elderly men dressed in decorated uniforms. We saw lots of medals, and we also saw a uniformed Prince Charles in a very fancy car pulling into a very fancy building! After Buckingham Palace we walked down the mall to Trafalgar Square and watched two young guys play Amazing Grace in front of the National Gallery.
Our boys were troopers and were entertained with leaves and sticks and sight seeing. Mike gave each a shoulder ride or two.
Around the corner in Covent Garden Mike navigated us to Café Pacífico, a MEXICAN RESTAURANT!
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| One of three signs outside restaurant reminding us we are in England. |
There were protesters camped out next to the cathedral, chilly work.
The museum tells the story of London from prehistory, to the Romans, Saxons and medieval, Tudor and Stuart. We watched a video about the plague of 1665, and then another about the Fire of London, 1666. This link has information and a game for children about the fire.
The boys are intrigued by the plague, and so am I. 100,000 London residents died, about 20% of the population. I just finished Daniel Defoe's A Journal of the Plague Year and I also want to ask my mommy over and over if this can happen to me.
To the boy's delight, the museum has examples of clothing which children wore in olden days.
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| Leather jerkin. |
I happily ignored the many heads that share these items, hoping that optimism will keep us safe from a more likely plague of lice...
 |
| Liripipe hood has pointed end that can wrap around neck for extra warmth. Wooden shoe covers are called pattens. |
Bring out yer dead!
London has so many cool things to do with kids. We only spent 4 days there and had a blast! --And I thought the parks there are fantastic with state-of-the-art play equipment, huh. (The Tate Museum has educational kits you can check out at the front desk.) Your boys are old enough to remember all of your adventures and cumulatively, they are adding up. --Can't even imagine how much they've learned by all your jaunts! Next time you are in South Kensington, try eating at Nando's South African chain. "That be the fiwi chicken!" (fine and delicious)
ReplyDeleteMike loves Nando's! We have found most playgrounds to be better than in the US. I appreciate the tip about the Tate, we haven't taken them there yet. So much to do! Two years is not enough...
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