I Wanna Go HOME! London, Day 2

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I Wanna Go HOME! London, Day 2

Today, the 1^st of October seemed fittingly fall-like here in London: moody skies playing tug-of-war between hues of grey with mists of rain and something more like the sunny blueness of Texas in March. We set off, all four of us, in the morning and the misty grey to see Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey. We set off on foot. We set off without raincoats (except Phoenix). We set off in the mist that turned to rain and back to mist (again and again). We strolled slowly, about the pace that equals a two-year old’s gait, Susie holding one of Phoenix’s hands and I the other. Our walking routes today began along Park Lane and took us past fancy pants hotels, the Aston Martin, BMW, Porsche, and Audi dealers (I think Land Rover was in there too) and later near Green Park we walked past several embassies (Japan, USA, Italy, Saudi Arabia). Green Park, much like the other parks we have seen in London, is populated by large and lovely trees, squirrels, enormous crows (imagine grackles on serious steroids), and a good amount of quiet. Phoenix was able to let go of holding hands and move freely once inside the park—which lasted about 10 minutes before he just wanted “mama to hold you.” We all took turns holding Phoenix for the rest of the morning. We found Buckingham Palace and the Queen Victoria Memorial and took some pictures. Phoenix was mostly interested in the police horses that stood in the crowds gathered for photo opps at both landmarks. So after a long walk to Buckingham Palace, and a tour around St. James Park (where we saw Ambassador’s Pelicans, more squirrels, more enormous crows, and Canada Geese, we stumbled upon Big Ben and Westminster Abbey.

**Note: people from all over the world seem fascinated by squirrels, strangely. Also note: London is an amazingly culturally diverse city. I’m not sure how many languages I’ve heard spoken in the last two days, but I’m certain the number is more than I’ve heard in a lifetime in Austin, Texas.

I realize that asking a two year old to walk miles and for hours at a time is a lot, and may be too much, but Phoenix generally does great and is excited by new experiences and places. For example, as the morning gave way to midday and we left from standing under Big Ben and headed underground to the Westminster tube station, Phoenix and I sat on the ground in the middle of the busy station—throngs of people busily zigging and zagging to make connecting trains—and played with a small hairbrush of Susie’s. Phoenix could hear the music from a Saxophonist playing in the hall of the underground and he pretended the hairbrush was first, his trumpet; second, his pitch pipe; and finally, his ticket. Travis was buying our train tickets (our Oyster Cards) and the machine wasn’t cooperating, so Phoenix and I had fun on the ground for a while.

**Note: the underground is great—gets us everywhere, fast. I wouldn’t recommend, however, taking the underground at rush hour with a two year old in tow. As I mentioned before, walking goes slowly at a two year old’s leg span.



After a quick train ride back to our hotel, Susie took Phoenix back to play ipad games and read books while Travis and I got some lunch at a very very tiny Italian –esque restaurant. I ate perhaps the best bowl of tomato soup I have ever eaten! We brought back some tasty bites for Phoenix and Susie, and after everyone finished lunch, Phoenix had a nap (this means we all napped). Just before naptime, though, Phoenix began his “I wanna Go HOME!” mantra, followed by “I want Hey Cupcake!”

After he fell asleep I googled “London cupcakes” and found Lola’s Cupcakes. Upon waking, Phoenix was dressed and off on his next adventure: Lola’s.

**Note: Lola’s Cupcakes are delicious and they distracted Phoenix from “wanna go home” for a good 3 hours.

Tomorrow Phoenix heads to the London Aquarium and may see the changing of the guards or the inside of Westminster Abbey. More to come. Watch for the information about my random right turn off Oxford Street onto a small side street and my attention being focused on a small boutique on the right side of the road—which turned out to have a very interesting past and bizarre present. More to come, I promise. I’m tired. It’s 130am.

**Also note: We lost Susie in the underground--briefly--but we found her. Whew! More details on that tomorrow.

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