Our Final Day - London Aquarium

We were incredibly lucky with the weather in London pretty much the entire time we were there.  We had temps in the upper 40s during the day with sun (yes sun, in London!).  However, as we knew, this couldn't last.  And our last day the weather was... blech.... it started off with some rain (surprise!) and temps in the lower 30s with a promise of only improving by a few degrees.

Our last token shot by Big Ben...

And the London Eye (the aquarium is the building right in front of it)

This made our choice for our final day in London all the better - the Aquarium.  Situated near Big Ben and the London Eye, we figured we would also try the latter if we had enough time.  Similar to every museum we have been in so far, the Aquarium was equally busy with a lot less space to put everyone in!  It was the first line we had to wait in since we actually had to pay for the aquarium unlike the museums in the city.  But it went fast and before we knew it, we were in.

As far as aquariums go, it wasn't too bad.  It wasn't the best nor the worst.  I would say it has less species than the one in Barcelona but it is a whole lot more kid friendly than the one we have here.  The aquarium here in Barcelona is more formal feeling and kids can't just be kids - they are expected to be silent.  But here in London, the setup was more like a pirate ship which oozed kids.  There was a shark tank which you could actually walk over - a pretty cool experience.  And of course, lots of places for the kids to sit and watch the fish swim by.

Walking over the shark tank... I will admit, for me, a bit nerve wracking!

Kids playing on top of the shark tank - yup, a little more nerve wracking... can we move on already???

Touch tank!  Unlike at the New England Aquarium, there was only 2 things you could touch in this tank, but the kids were happy nonetheless.

Of course, because it was so crowded it was hard to sit and just watch the fish.  And Aidan, like myself, isn't a fan of crowds.  So we worked our way through the aquarium a bit faster than I think we normally would have liked.  But it was fun regardless and we had a good time checking out all the fish!

Seahorse looks like he's dead but I assure you he isn't... he's just holding on to the seagrass.

We waited to see if he would attack any fish below him but he just kept sitting there... BORING...

Watching the turtles

SHARKS!!

After the aquarium we had a few hours to spare before having to head over to the airport.  We grabbed lunch nearby - sadly it was not the most impressive lunch and I really hate leaving a city on a "bad" note.  But we were all in good moods and so we didn't let it keep us down.  I think overall we covered pretty much everything, well everything except the London Eye which that day didn't have any availability til 3PM when we had to head to the airport.  So I guess we'll have to save that one for our next trip ;)

All in all, London was more than I could have hoped for it to be.  It was a little taste of home and yet, totally and completely different from home.  It was fun, educational and a really great family trip!!  Up next month for the fam... Malta!!

Besos,
Julie

The London Science Museum...and Chinese Food

That title is probably a bit misleading.  But those were the two big highlights of our 4th day in London so I suppose it's apt.  And... I couldn't think of another title.  On another note, I just want to point out that museums in London are free.  They are huge, beautifully maintained and free.  This would probably explain why most of London was in the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum on the days that we wanted to tour them as well.  

Knowing what the lines looked like when we left the Natural History Museum on Monday, we made sure to get out the door just a little earlier on Tuesday for the Science Museum, making it there shortly after it opened at 10.  I was rather impressed with us :).  This museum, like the Natural History one, was huge and beautifully maintained.  The kids loved it right away.

There were moments where the kids were absolutely fascinated and others where they were like and how does this apply to me at this moment and why should I care?  Aidan a few times asked what life was like for Josh and I back in the 1800s.  Thanks Aidan...though I must admit I look pretty good for being 100+ years old ;)  I wish they both understood the concept of time a little more.  Aidan gets that the 1800s was a long time ago, but to him it's not much different than 2 million years ago.  Liam doesn't get it either.  So to explain to them that it's only been in the last century that we've had electricity, cars and television doesn't really hit home with them.  For them to understand how far technology has come in such a short time given how long man has been alive is currently beyond their grasp.  Another year or so and I think Aidan will get it just a bit more... Liam still has some more time to go.  

Learning all about motion

The kids thought the stuff about the space shuttle and outer space was pretty cool!

"You mean they ate this??"

A mini production line

This is an old grave marker and medical supplies

While the museum was huge in size, it wasn't as child friendly as I had hoped.  Yes, there was tons and tons of information but it wasn't as interactive as other science museums that we have visited such as Boston and even in Valencia.  What also surprised me not just at this museum but at the Natural History and all around London even, was that everything was only in English.  One of the things I've noticed when I go home is that in Boston, more and more is being translated into other languages, primarily Spanish.  When we were at the Childrens Museum last summer, almost everything was in both English and Spanish.  I'm surprised that being such an international city that more in London wasn't translated into other languages.  Just a thought...

Anyways, like I said, there was a lot of information packed into 5 floors of the science museum.  We did not hit all 5 floors.  But there were not many exhibits that were interactive and even on the map, it showed which ones were - if you have to highlight them, then that probably means there aren't many.  Regardless the kids had fun and were entertained.  

There was a whole half a floor dedicated to flight.  These airplanes were amazing!

A cute kids area - you actually could make ripples in the "water"

Another old plane

Bi-plane

Tri-plane

The highlight of the Science Museum though was SeaLife 3D in the IMAX theater - just like in Boston, you are sitting almost vertically in front of a huge screen.  But unlike any other 3D movies put out recently by Disney, Pixar and others, this movie truly felt like it came to life in front of you.  The jellyfish were swimming right in front of your eyes - people (including Josh!!) were actually touching the air in front of them because the images appeared so close and realistic.  The kids were fascinated and totally understood what it meant to see a 3D movie now.  There was a moment of "dark" music and some not so friendly sea creatures that kind of freaked them both out but I had them close their eyes and they were fine.  And Liam was happy that there was no blood :)  Simple request I think... 

Liam ready for SeaLife 3D

With the movie over and bellies rumbling, we decided to hit China town for lunch.  Now, we have eaten Chinese food only a time or two in Barcelona and not with impressive results.  When we go home to Boston, having Chinese food ranks right up there with visiting our parents that we haven't seen in a year.  We'd heard that the Chinese food in London comes close to that in the US and it wasn't half bad.  It still wasn't the same as the US but overall it was pretty good.  

China Town near Piccadilly Circus

After lunch we walked around Piccadilly and then up Regent Street to Oxford Circus.  The weather was beautiful and near 50F which for London in February was fantastic.  How could we not want to be outside?  Not to mention, our tiny apartment was about as big as my closet and we didn't want to be cooped up all afternoon.  We should have taken this time to go to the London Eye but I think we were all pretty tuckered out and needed a rest so we hopped on the underground back to the apartment.  

Piccadilly Circus

More Piccadilly

These are all of Piccadilly Circus... I have no idea what the huge long building is (and probably should research it) but it went on forever!

The close proximity of the apartment was certainly not helping the kids - proximity breeds contempt for sure with these two.  Already needling each other all day (ok, the whole trip), they were pretty close to done with each other.  And so dinner was out once more (I'm actually looking forward to getting back to BCN and eating at home) though this time burgers.  Josh said his burger was pretty good. The kids also had milkshakes that were divine and HUGE!  My sandwich, outstanding.. grilled chicken with cranberries and camembert.  DELICIOUS!!  Probably one of the best things I ate all week.  Add that to super crunchy steak fries and it's a match made in heaven.  Not only can I not wait to be back home in my own kitchen, but I desperately need to get back to the gym... all this eating is not doing my waistline any good!!

In the end, it was a great day - not overwhelmed with things to do but feeling like we got a lot done.  With one more day in the city, this time we will hopefully make it to the London Eye.  We are definitely planning on the Aquarium on our last day as it's expected to be pretty cold out so some indoor fun is definitely in order - and with the aquarium being located right by the base of the Eye, hopefully we can hit both.  Til tomorrow!

The kids before bed... too cute!

Besos,
Julie

Dinosaurs and More!!

Once again, we started out strong at 10AM (seriously, what happened to the American in us if we can’t get out the door before 10AM on a given day unless it’s school or work related?).  Our goal this morning, the Natural History Museum.  Our handyman had suggested it to us as there is a huge display of dinosaur bones being shown there that the boys would like.

Yes, Liam is wearing the royal robe again... 

I think every child that was at Hamleys the other day, was at the Natural History Museum today and they brought their friends.  Holy shit!  It was packed!  And that was when we got there.  The line was well out the door and down the sidewalk when we left (glad we went “early”). 

On our way inside the Natural History Museum

Aidan spent the first 5 minutes sulking.  But then something caught his eye and he was hooked on learning.  We did a little bit of geology and how some of that geology related to the ancient Greek gods.  Then we went over to learn about birds both current and extinct.  The birds creeped me out a bit as they were all dead and stuffed – there were even displays with just their heads or legs.  Aidan was like, “why did they cut those birds legs off?”… um, I have no idea and I just can’t bear to look any more!!  And my favorite (insert sarcasm here) room – insects.  The exhibits were all great for kids and totally interactive in all of the rooms (except the birds). 

Geology area

It's an ancestor to an elephant but those that discovered it originally thought it could be a cyclops!

Stuffed birds...ewww!!!

Bird parts... ewwww again!

We made our way towards the dinosaur exhibit and right before it was a room of full of fossilized sea creatures – the predecessors of dolphins and crocodiles to name a few.  These fossils were upwards of 200 million years old.  That’s old!!!  I found it fascinating how much detail they showed, some even having food that was in their stomachs fossilized! 

This is actually the skeleton of a giant sloth!

200 million year old crocodiles

Hmmm, that's pretty big compared to Liam... wouldn't want to run into him in the water!

A cute moment with Josh and Aidan

Checking out the bugs

Eventually we made it over to where the dinosaurs were and there was a huge line.  We thought this was to pay for this exhibit (the museum was free) but it turns out that was just the line to walk through the exhibit.  One of the things I learned that I had absolutely no idea about was that dinosaurs were only discovered by humans about 150 years ago – really, that’s not very long in the scheme of mankind!  So in the late 1800s?  And to think about all we know about them we’ve only learned in that timeframe. 

There were some pretty cool fossils that we checked out!  But the disappointment for us all, no T-Rex.  It was an animatron.  The goal for the kids though was to make it to the dinosaur gift shop.  Of course….

In line to go to the dinosaur exhibit

Just so you know, beyond stegosaurus and triceratops, I do not know the names of any of the fossils we saw nor did I write them down... 

We had to walk along a suspended bridge to see the dinosaurs - it was actually kind of cool that they were suspended as well and probably keeps everyone from touching, therefore destroying, them.  Smart move... 

This one reminded me of the guy from Ice Age

This was T-Rex... I was rather disappointed that it was an animatron and not as least a fossil.  What a disappointment at the end of a great exhibit.

We grabbed lunch at a local pub and then it was off to Buckingham Palace to have a snack with the Queen.  Yeah ok!  Aidan and I have been having a lot of chats about what it must be like to the a part of the royal family.  He thought it would be great because you could have pretty much anything you want in the world.  Then I explained to him that it comes at a price of having your entire life constantly on display for others and that it must be really hard to trust people for fear that they may sell a piece of your life to the tabloids.  I think he understood it a little better when we got to the Palace and there were tons of people standing outside the gates taking pictures.  Of course, we did the same.  He asked me if we saw the Queen in a car go by, would we take a picture.  I wanted to tell him, no I wouldn’t… but really, if the Queen went by, let’s be realistic, that would have been a pretty cool picture!!

Aidan having ribs for lunch... he's a happy kid!

Outside the palace... I don't know what all the hype is about, I wasn't all that impressed, but maybe we were on the wrong side??

Statue outside Buckingham Palace

But there are all these people which makes me think it's the right side??

I mean the gates are pretty but there isn't much else

A few guards

King Liam outside his palace

We spent maybe 10 minutes in front of the Palace, watching the guards.  None of them were standing right outside the gate though, maybe we need to be at Kensington for those ones?  Or maybe they got tired of being harassed by tourists?  The only ones we saw were right along the palace, easily several hundred yards away from where the gates were. 

The next changing of the guard isn’t til Tuesday at 11:30 so we may or not be there for that, but I really don’t think the kids care one way or another about it.  We left the Palace and headed towards the park across the way aptly named Green Park.  Liam was once again wearing his cape as we walked through the park.  They wanted to play in the grass but it wasn’t til we were almost through the park that I saw any kids even playing on the grass and so I had told them no.  Of course, they didn’t listen anyways.  And it got a little energy out of them.

At the top of the park laid Piccadilly so we started to walk along there until Regents and then head up to Oxford Circus.  Yeah, we didn’t make it that far.  We found a bookstore (finally) and the kids got some books, including the Geronimo Stilton that Aidan wanted.  By now we were pretty damn cold and it was almost 4 anyways so we decide once we got to the Piccadilly Circus Underground Station we would head back to the apartment to chill out for a bit.

We spent maybe an hour at the apartment before heading out again.  This time just around our neighborhood.  The woman from NY had told me about a mall with a GAP in it that was down the street.  I’m in!!!  We figured there might be some restaurants nearby as well.

Ok, the mall was crappy.  But it did have a Gap and a Gap Kids.  Oh and a Toys R Us that Liam freaked out in because we told him he couldn’t buy any more toys.  The nerve of us!!!!  I will admit to spending maybe 15 mins on a hunt for jeans that went semi-ok.  It could have gone better.  My weight is up compared to last summer and it doesn’t really motivate my shopping jean but I needed jeans!!  I finally found a pair along with a few shirts and moved along.  So much for my shopping frenzy in London... I think I'll have to save that for a girls trip!

We ended up at Côte again for dinner as we weren’t in the mood for anything heavy and had burgers for lunch so this place had the most varied menu.  A late night again, but home by 8:15 so not as bad as the previous night.  Up for tomorrow???  No real clue but thinking it will include a trip on the London Eye and then we’ll see from there!

Besos,

Julie