London at Night

Our long weekend in the UK was my second time in London this year, and this time I planned to see it during the day & take some fabulous photo’s.  But, as they say, the best laid plans…

Traveling with kids is never easy, even my kids that are travel bugs (just like me) and like going anywhere. Everywhere. As long as it’s somewhere.  And, truth be told, I’d crammed an awful lot into one visit.  Our very first day, Stuttgart-to-London day, I’d also insists on fish  & chips for lunch (YUM!) and Harry Potter! Plus the drive to Lakenheath.

The second day was Cole’s football game, meeting up with old friends and new friends (Lou!). The third day we toured Nottingham, Warhammer World and more pub time with Lou! It is no wonder that by the fourth day all of us were slow to roll out of bed, pack up and head to the next Fun! Sightseeing! Trip!

We hit the London area right around B&B check-in time, so we did that first.  The Yew Tree Guest House is an adorable, old English home run by an ex-airforce mechanic, John, and his wife.  I picked it because a family room with bathroom (and breakfast snacks) was extremely reasonable. We loved it for it’s real English authenticity, gorgeous gardens and friendly owners.

By the time we unpacked, walked to the train station, and got to London evening had set in.  No daytime photo shoot for me. I tried very hard to not be disappointed, vowing again to learn how to shoot in the dark, and just enjoy the hustle and bustle that is London. It helped that the kids were popping with excitement.  Double decker busses are almost as exciting the Harry Potter Knight Bus. Almost.

Dane could not stop grinning. He has no memory of skyscrapers, and here there was one immediately outside of London Bridge station.  The sheer height of the tower amazed him and we spent a good five minutes admiring the architecture.  Then worrying about how it all stayed up.

I’d expected the train station to be crowded & filled with people, especially right at commute hours on a Monday night.  I hadn’t expected the streets to be filled with people.  Walking streets filled with people is terrifying… if you have a Dane.

Danes like to hop, skip, climb & run.  In a crowd of people, at night, even dressed in bright oranges & yellows, it is a full-time job for two people to keep an eye on him.  I finally gave up (by finally I mean in the first two minutes) and made him hold my hand. I know for many eight-year-olds this is normal, for my guy, living in a tiny town, he’s used to free ranging it.  Being held by hand was hard, especially with so much to see & do & climb!

Luckily, on the other side of the bridge, we found a Pret-a-Manger, fantastic little organic food shops, grabbed a quick bite to eat and then hopped on one of the double decker red busses.  The kids ran up the stairs, and I so wished I’d run after them because I wasn’t halfway up before the bus driver tore away from the curb like a maniac… causing me to weeble wobble on those same stairs. Of course both kids were in the very tippy-toppy front of the bus, noses practically pressed against the glass, absolutely loving the view.

London is gorgeous at night. There is no denying it.  I have no idea how our bus driver didn’t kill every other driver, let alone how he missed the bicycle riders, and not watching where he was driving became almost as important to me as gawking at all the landmarks we zoomed by.  The kids were perfectly happy to zoom by the Amazing Historical Landmarks, but when we hit Oxford Street Tess  began begging to get off.  Oxford Street has shopping.  Lots and lots and lots of shopping. Lots. Of. Shopping. I suddenly missed our teeny, tiny town with the one mini market that’s almost never open. That, right there, is a big money saver.