Sunday, September 29, 2013

Vacation Part 1- London

Since we have so many pictures, I’ve decided to break our vacation blog into a series of blogs.  Otherwise I will be waiting forever and a day for this thing to publish and you all wouldn’t see a vacation blog for weeks!  So…  welcome to part 1 of our vacation!

Here’s Kaitlyn and Kevin watching the planes at Logan…100_1254

Day 1

We got to London early the next afternoon.  I think we did a good job of picking a few highlights to visit during our short stay that combined things I had done before and new things for me.  Obviously everything was new for Kaitlyn and Kevin.

So, after dropping our bags at the hotel, we headed off to our first stop, Westminster Cathedral.Imported Photos 04745

Then it was off to Westminster Abbey.  Here’s Kaitlyn in the Cloister.100_1258Imported Photos 04750

We had an amazing dinner at Porter’s to celebrate our arrival.100_1260100_1261

Kaitlyn had the kid’s Shepard's pie and chips.Imported Photos 04762

Kevin had the steak and cheddar pie with a puff pastry on top.Imported Photos 04760

I had the Shepard’s pie and spicy lentils.Imported Photos 04761

For dessert, Kevin had the dark chocolate pudding. Imported Photos 04765

I had a blackberry, apple, and hazelnut crumble.Imported Photos 04764

Kaitlyn had a slice of chocolate cake.Imported Photos 04763

I think she liked it!Imported Photos 04767

Next it was off to M&M World.  Kaitlyn was most excited to come here.  I wonder whose great-niece she is?Imported Photos 04768

Kaitlyn wanted to take pictures everywhere!Imported Photos 04780Imported Photos 04772Imported Photos 04773Imported Photos 04775Imported Photos 04778Imported Photos 04777

On the way back to our hotel, we stopped in a little store to buy drinks.  To our surprise we found Maine Root Soda.  It’s an all natural soda that is produced and bottled in Portland.  We’d gone to several different stores in Portland looking for their seasonal Pumpkin Pie soda with no luck.  Where do we find it?  That’s right!  We  had to come all the way to London to find our local brew Smile

Day 2

The next morning we took a tour of the State Rooms in Buckingham Palace.  Unfortunately photos were not allowed.  They did have a special audio tour for kids that Kaitlyn loved and really paid attention to.  When she got to the Throne Room she pointed out the “Queen’s Chair” to us!

In the afternoon, it was off to the Tower of London!Imported Photos 04805100_1264100_1265100_1307100_1283100_1295100_1280

Here’s Kaitlyn testing her arm strength on the mock “bow”.100_1291Imported Photos 04821Imported Photos 04823

After the Tower, we walked a few blocks over to St. Olave’s Church.  Kevin has been researching his family on Ancestry.com and discovered that one of his ancestors was baptized here in the 1500s!100_1316100_1312

Since Aunt Bev got the M&M World photos, this one’s for Aunt Pam…  Kaitlyn loved her currywurst!Imported Photos 04834

Day 3

We got to Buckingham Palace an hour and a half before the changing of the guard was supposed to start and we were still in the second row of people.  Luckily we picked a spot right next to a very nice lady who stepped back and bunched her kids in closer so Kaitlyn could be right up against the fence. Imported Photos 04839

I do not remember the band playing popular songs during the ceremony, but they did this time. I had to laugh when they started playing a song from one of the James Bond movies.Imported Photos 04846

Next we headed over to the Royal Mews.  Once again Kaitlyn loved listening to the kid’s audio guide, but her favorite part was seeing the horses and coloring in the discovery room.Imported Photos 04860Imported Photos 04874

The typical tourist photos en route to the Churchill War Rooms…Imported Photos 04898Imported Photos 04899Imported Photos 04882

Kaitlyn listening to her audio guide at the Churchill War Rooms.100_1349

Then it was off to walk by Parliament, hear Big Ben, and ride the London Eye…100_1366Imported Photos 04915Imported Photos 04913Imported Photos 04917

For our final dinner in London, we went to a pub just down the street from our hotel for fish and chips. Imported Photos 04920Imported Photos 04924Imported Photos 04925Imported Photos 04922

Kaitlyn really like the music, so she started dancing after dinner.Imported Photos 04928

Day 4

The next morning, we checked out of the hotel and hopped on a train to Dover…100_1370

No comments: