Another day in London

We had such a nice time in London that we decided to try it again today. It didn't go quite as well - you can only do so much with a three-year-old before he just goes crazy!

We took the train from the town we'll be living in since it was a slightly shorter ride. Trains go often enough that even if you don't know the schedule, you won't have to wait too long for the next one to come by. So we made it to London and decided to take the tube to Harrods. The tubes were packed today - we had to stand on most of them, occasionally getting seats for the kids (some people actually got up sothe kids could have their seats). We found Harrods easily and found our way to the toy department on the 4th floor. They had toys of all kinds on display, including some cool ride-on cars, the source of Ben's first breakdown. The cars were just to look at (and buy) of course, not to sit in. So we had to drag our child away and moved on to their kid-oriented restaurant. I know I've mentioned how expensive groceries are - compared to restaurant prices, they seem pretty cheap. We paid a lot of money for a fairly basic (but good) meal. Fortunately the kids were in the mood to eat! After that we wondered around the toy area a bit more, then found the pet shop (after a long walk through many expensive, breakable things), then on to the Food Halls for some treats from the bakery.

When we left Harrod's, it was raining a bit, but I insisted we persevere and venture on to Covent Garden, an area I loved when I was in London as a student. So back on the tube we went (we didn't take the stroller today because there are way too many stairs and escalators in the Underground) and a few stops later we were at Covent Garden, a very busy place. Since it was raining still, we hurried through the crowds to the London Transport Museum, which I figured might be of interest to the kids. Not so much, but a few things caught their eye. The big favorite was sitting in the driver's seat of a bus and pretending to steer. Ben was pretty upset (about who knows what) the entire time we were there, so unfortunately we didn't get the full experience. Maybe we'll go back in two years right before we leave - maybe the kids will appreciate it better when they're a bit older.

After the museum and a quick walk through the shops, we started our journey home, which was easy enough. Then it was time to feed the ducks, eat dinner, get baths, read stories (Sammy the Seal is the big favorite right now) and go to bed.

Tomorrow we don't plan to do much at all - I think we all need a break!