The big smoke

We had a day in London town. After breakfast and a chat about what to do when they grow up (Mx still at the standard police officer stage, AR wants to be an author and illustrator who lives in space and writes books about space for the children who can’t go there!) we caught the tube to Covent Garden and watched a string quartet for a while, and another street performer who was less entertaining. We wandered through the market and the along towards Leicester Square where we went into the Lego shop (which was mobbed!) to choose some little kits and look at all the displays.
From there we wandered down to see the fountain and lions in Trafalgar Square, passing ceremonial soldiers on polished horses outside Admiralty House and a scrum at the gates of Downing St and trying to explain what the Treasury did!
We saw Big Ben newly released from its scaffolding but the clock still wasn’t working so we didn’t get to hear it strike midday even though we were there just in time.
After another quick tube ride we had pizza lunch near the Natural History museum and then fought through the crowds inside it to see the dinosaurs, the volcanoes section and stood in the earthquake room recreating a supermarket in Kobe. They were very taken with all sorts, some predictable, some not, and we discovered a section on gemstones that I’d never seen before. Amazed how patient and interested they stayed, even though by the time we were on the tube home (and having walked 5 miles!) they were tired out. Home and they played with their new Lego then Mt and Mx practised on their flight simulator, flying up to see my house in Edinburgh. I can see Mx is a replica of Mt in more than one way (extra)!
Mt&H went out for dinner and to see the new Batman film and I gave the kids tea and got them to bed (love the chats that Mx has when he’s in bed…what an insight into his wee mind!) then made myself some chocolate pudding and a cup of tea and watched some nonsense on tv after a busy day!