Towers and Bridges

A day at the Tower of London, and the Tower Bridge, which is not to be confused with the London Bridge, whose pre-1967 version has been sold and transported to Laka Havasu City, Arizona. And no, I'm not joking.

The tower itself is interesting, and not nearly as tower shaped as one would expect. Still the historic significance is impressive, as is the 1078 construction under our good old friend, William the Conquerer. One of my only disappointments is not that I can't get the guard to laugh, but that I can't the girls to do silly dances in public to try to make him laugh. I myself go for the worst possible version of the robot, with not so much as a smirk from the guard. However, I have succeeded in mortifying my children.

 

  

 

The exhibits are very knight-in-shining-armor, and there's even an artistic dragon to drive home the point.

There's no question it's a very boy-centric spot, though the girls and I certainly do find it interesting. We do not see the crown jewels, because the line is just way too long. But we do see some "crown jewels" if you get my not-so-subtle drift. I take these two photos, one inside the museum and one at a snack shop just outside, for my nephews and brothers-in-law, because if there's one thing I know about boys, it's that they never outgrow potty humor.

 

 

Double Decker Treats

Riding on the double decker buses turns out to be one of the girls' very favorite things to do. It's certainly their favorite mode of transportation. There is only one place to sit on a double decker: top, front!

 

 

 

 

And another of our favorite double decker treats -- well, triple-decker, if you look carefully -- would be afternoon tea. Crustless cucumber sandwiches, anyone? Best part for me, hands down, is the scones and clotted cream. I am in utter heaven. There are many fancy, famous places to take tea in London, but we opt for the Dean Street Townhouse Hotel, which is a cozy, candle-lit, more traditional and more casual spot. I highly recommend it, especially since it's about a quarter the price of the fancy spots and, frankly, we prefer the ambiance.

 

 

 

The thing that baffles us is a trio of Japanese women at the next table who are there when we arrive, still there when we leave, yet have three layers of uneaten treats at their table the whole time. A part of me wants to reach over and steal their scones. But upon reflection, it just doesn't seem like something the Queen would do at high tea.

 

 

 

Christmas Lights

We've hit London after Christmas, but you'd never know it by the decorations. The city is still lit up like, well, a Christmas tree. I don't think I've ever seen any place that could compete with this for sheer Chrismas spirit, not even Manhattan.

In San Francisco, we take the girls every year to the Cow Palace, where they hold the Dickens Fair. Basically, it's an indoor Renaissance Festival that's dedicated instead to ye olde English Christmas as inspired by Charles Dickens and reinterpreted by some California live action role playing fanatics. The Dickens Fair is fantastic family fun, but this...this is the real thing.

 

 

 

 

While we're in London, we don't manage to have figgy pudding, but at several restaurants, we do get our favorite -- sticky toffee pudding with caramel sauce. As they say in England, Happy Christmas, indeed!