Notte Family Adventures

Friday, June 26, 2015

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Not ready to be a Time Lord

Yes we really did make a tube run out to Earl's Court to see the last remaining police call box aka "The Tardis." It was hard to tell if it was bigger on the inside because it was locked!

Today we made good use of the London Underground. Thanks Della! Adelaide did ride free. Can't say enough about this. The oyster cards were easy to use, the waits were never long, the connections to different lines were clear, and it was relatively inexpensive for a family of five to travel.

Our first stop was at Westminster station. We came above to see Big Ben RIGHT there! Welcome to London! We walked by the Houses of Parliament admiring its beauty and workmanship. Then we went over to Westminster Abbey. It was the middle of the afternoon and our wait was, at most, 10 minutes to get in. This was incredible to us as we had multiple sources warning of the long wait unless you arrived early in the morning. We did the self-guided audio tour and all went at our own pace. Awe-inspiring. Despite the reluctance of the teen set, everyone found something of interest--especially the who's who of the famous interred there.

Isaac wanted to see the Imperial War Museum so we headed off there. What a fascinating place! We spent a couple of hours there and could easily have spent more. We all split to pursue our own interests while Isaac speed lapped the place to see it all! John spent time in the WW II section and noted the different view of DDay. Adelaide and I immersed ourselves in WW I and the secret intelligence wings. We did a quick tour of the Holocaust wing before seeking out " Gassed" by John Singer Sargent. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gassed_(painting) This museum did not glorify war at all but instead showed the reality of it and the significance from a historical perspective. Very well done and free with a suggested donation. Well worth it.

Cinderella's slipper?

Found this shoe along the street. Looks like Prince Charming has to wait. It doesn't fit yet!

London Day 1

After finding our super-conveniently located apartment (just a few blocks from Victoria Station!), we did a quick turn around--literally! We walked back to Victoria and hopped aboard the previously mentioned Hop on Nod off bus. The experience was a good entry for us to get an overview of the city but I'm not sure we would recommend it otherwise.

We stopped at the London Eye for a half hour ride and great views of the city. With soft serve ice cream that was presented to us after it had been hung upside down, we people watched for a bit. We were in an area next to the Eye where there were several "living statues." It was pretty interesting to watch from the sidelines--the enthrallment of visitors and the absolute stillness of the statues. Then one by one they went off duty and packed up. As Adelaide said, it totally ruined the mystique!

Our bus tour included a river cruise so we hopped aboard and saw the sights along the Thames. Our guide mentioned that Tower Bridge would be opening in the next several minutes so we walked over. We were right up front on the bridge. This got mixed reviews with some thinking it no more exciting than the Cut at home and others thinking it pretty cool to see this renown bridge in action! A full afternoon considering our day of travel!

Hop on Nod Off

We began our vacation on the Hop on Hop off bus which all jet lagged tourists seem to take. We got in all the highlights and even stayed out until 9 pm local time! Must have been those naps between iconic sights. More soon...