London town

For my birthday we went to London! I did a study abroad there about 8 years ago and ever since then it has been my favorite place. I was so excited to share this awesome city with Jeff and the Girls. I thought I would give you the 10 high lights (and some low lights) from our adventures. The LONDON Ten:
1. Hold that plane! After only 4 hours of sleep we got up very early Saturday morning to catch our flight. We knew the general location of the airport but this did not prove to be enough. We got lost and missed our flight!!! (just barely of course) after a “little” fee, Ryanair changed our flight. Just a few hours later we made it to London totally exhausted!
2. In the lap of luxury! We stayed at the Royal Lancaster Hotel. We were on the 17th floor and had an amazing view of Hyde Park. Every thing was so fancy! It’s nice to pamper yourself sometimes.
3. Double Decker bus. After a short nap we headed out to see some sights. I thought it would be fun to take one of the red double decker buses. It was anything but fun. We were trapped between some routy teens and some Middle Eastern woman and there children. The British teens were being very rude and verbally threting the ladies. One mom called the police. F-bombs flying everywhere!!! Those boys needed there mouths washed out with soap. It was very intense. I was so happy to get off that ride safely with my kids. That was the last bus ride of the trip.
4. YUM. One of my favorite London treats is a soft ice cream cone with a flake (flake= a Cadbury chocolate stick that is flakey). We enjoyed one of these while we sat in the shade of the London Eye on the River Thames. Olive had her own and she took full advantage of a hand full of ice cream! Walking up and down the river can be lots of fun. there are some crazy cats in London.
5.Wagamama. Another one of my favorites. I have been telling Jeffrey about this restaurant for years. If you ever make it to London you must try this delicious noodle bar.
6. Off with her head! Day two started at the Tower of London. It was so hot and too crowded. We really didn’t get to enjoy it. Not to mention the girls were totally exhausted from the day before. But we did learn some cool history.
7. Captain Jeffrey. Sunday afternoon we relaxed at Hyde Park. In the park there is a large lake called the Serpentine. We took a peddle boat out on the lake. I tried to prevent the girls from going over board and Jeff was captain.
8. Mind the Gap. We used the underground for all of our getting around. It really is easy and fun to use. The only bad thing is caring the stroller up and down the steps. Another thing about using public transportation is you walk a lot. Which a good walk is needed after eating English food.
9. Do not feed the pigeons. The last time I was in London I had fond memories of feeding the pigeons in Trafalgar Square. The girls love to chase birds around and I thought this would be the high light of the trip for them. First thing I noticed as soon as we entered the square… NO PIGEONS!! Because pigeons are annoying birds they now have signs up that say, “Do not feed the pigeons!” and police men walking around. Instead of hundreds of birds to chase, the girls found only one sad, lonely, hungry pigeon to bug.
10. MY BIRTHDAY!! So I am now 29 years old!!! I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday. We saw my old flat and visited Buckingham Palace. Then we met up with one of my old mission companions who is living in England with her husband. It was great to hang out with her. We had a yummy lunch, went shopping (thank you Jeff for the London Birthday Shopping Spree), and visited Kensington Palace/Gardens.
We had so much fun in London. The trip was too short. I wish I had a week to show Jeffrey and the Girls around the city. That being said, we are totally exhausted and could all use a massage followed by a long nap.