Beautiful British weather

After several days of rain, we received a bright sunshiny day and endeavored to make the most of it.  We started with a ride on a double-decker bus, walked along the river, and made our way to the London Eye.

The London Eye provided us with spectacular, crystal clear views of London and the surrounding areas.

We continued our walk so that we could see (and hear) Big Ben. 

From Westminster, we took the tube to High Street Kensington.

We picked up picnic provisions and walked over to Kensington Palace Gardens to enjoy a picnic lunch whilst enjoying a view of the Round Pond. 

After lunch, we visited the Palace itself which features exhibits on Queen Victoria's life at the palace and Princess Diana's dresses, as well as the royal apartments.

Exploring the gardens further, we visited the Princess Diana Playground, Walk, and Fountain, and raced around the fields. 

Before heading back to our flat we stopped into Harrods where Ava was able to find Little Miss and Peppa Pig books. 

We've spent our entire trip thus far within Tube/DLR distance but tomorrow we make the short train journey to Windsor to visit ... you guessed it ... Windsor Castle.  Stay tuned.

Buses and Blues

Ava gets amazingly excited any time she spots two things that are fairly common in London - union jacks and double decker buses.  This morning she had the opportunity to see, climb on, and even drive her beloved buses at the London Transport Museum.  We've yet to ride on an actual double decker bus but hope to do so tomorrow.  Ava has quickly learned that the ones with the open tops aren't real double decker buses but are, instead, "tourist buses."

Just steps away from the Transport Museum are the many shops, stalls, and entertainment at Covent Garden where we grabbed some pies and mash for lunch.  

A short trip on the very crowded tube led us to our primary activity of the day - the match between Chelsea and QPR at Stamford Bridge.

Our seats were close enough to the pitch to get a good view of Stamford the Lion and the rest of the greatest team the world has ever seen. 

A hat trick from Fernando Torres led Chelsea to a 6-1 victory over their West London rivals.

After the match we sang songs, waved our flags, and paid tribute to the King of Stamford Bridge, the great Peter Osgood.

We returned home via tube to Russell Square and visited Coram's Field again.

We walked just across the street to The Lamb, an old Victorian pub, where the staff originally told us that kids weren't allowed after 5pm, but we convinced them otherwise and had a wonderful meal.

A Rainy Day On The Thames

From the time we woke up this morning it was raining but mimicking the locals, we didn't let that stop us.

Taking the tube and DLR, we headed to Greenwich where Ava got to meet new friends - Matthew, Haydn, and Daisy - and explore the National Maritime Museum.

Ava learned what life was like for British traders.

And Matthew posed with the Royal Navy's firepower.

After leaving the town where time begins, we took the Millenium City up (down?) the Thames past Tower Bridge, The Shard, Darth Vader's Helmet, and on down to Westminster.

From Westminster we walked down the river, past Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square, and to China Town for a delicious lunch.

After filling our tummies, we wandered over to Piccadilly Circus.

And then on to Hamleys, one of the world's largest toy stores, where we had the chance to meet the Lego Royal Family.

In the City . . . City of London

After spending yesterday afternoon near our apartment, we spent our first morning in The City (for you Bay Area readers this obviously does not refer to San Francisco).  Our first stop was St. Paul's Cathedral.  Ava made the trek up to the Whispering Gallery where we were able to hear people whispering against the opposite wall over 100 feet away.

After walking through the on and off rain and eventually deciding to take the Tube, our next stop was Monument, which commemorates The Great Fire of London in 1666.  After climbing the 311 steps to the viewing platform, we enjoyed panoramic views of London.

Our lunchtime stop was at The Walrus and the Carpenter where we enjoyed fish, chips & mushy peas, and chicken & mushroom pie in the Lewis Carroll room.

After resting up, we headed to the Tower of London, where we got to see the Crown Jewels, the White Tower, the famous ravens and Beefeaters, and got great views of Tower Bridge.

Heading back to Central London, we paid a visit to Buckingham Palace and enjoyed a walk through Green Park.

After so much walking, we ended our day with tea at The Wolseley.  Ava enjoyed her tea (mostly milk and sugar) but really loved the scones.

Tomorrow we are off to meet up with friends and to visit the London Eye (British weather permitting).

Ava's First Trip to England

Our family has been looking forward to our trip to England for some time now and the next two weeks will be full of many firsts for Ava.  After a visit with Grammy, Poppy, and Divot, our trip started off with a rest at the AA Admirals Club at LAX and thanks to using every last mile we had Ava was able to travel in style - first class to O'Hare and business class to Heathrow (unfortunately we will be in second class/steerage/sardine class on the way home).  Ava soaked up all the perks, the most important of which were the warm chocolate chip cookies (even more exciting than the lie flat beds).

Upon arriving in London, Ava got to experience her first tube ride and her first rude Londoner.  Daddy got up to allow an elderly woman to sit down, a guy tried to poach the open seat so Daddy blocked him and slightly bumped into elderly woman #2 who proceeded to complain about the people with lots of luggage (not recognizing that the guy with all the luggage was trying to help out her friend.

After dropping off our gear at our apartment, we made the short walk past Charles Dickens' house to Coram's Fields.

Our main goal was to find Dimple, the bunny that Ava adopted (thanks to Grandma and Grandpa).  We easily spotted Dimple but he was in a shy mood.  We plan to come back again to see him eat and hop about.

Coram's Fields has tons of play areas for kids of all ages and Ava especially enjoyed the zip line, while Daddy joined in for some fun on the swings.

Dyeing for Easter

Ava's Easter activities spanned several weeks and included egg dying, Easter festivals with friends, and a party at home with friends.

On Easter morning, Ava woke up to find that the Easter Bunny had left a basket with books, toys, and chocolate.  Before breakfast Ava ran through the back yard for her solo egg hunt.

After breakfast, we headed for church where Ava listened to the music, colored, and enjoyed another egg hunt.

In the afternoon, Ava joined her cousins and friends for yet another Easter egg hunt at Uncle Eddie's house where our family - including Grammy and Great Grandma - gathered for an Easter party.