This after walking all the stairs in the to the second platform at the Eiffel tower and in between countless stairs up and down in every metro/subway/tube we came across and up and down rough-hewn castle steps and huge flights of steps in museums and up and down mountains and behind waterfalls in Iceland (our next stop).
No big deal, right?
Claire took the little tour quite seriously.
Grace, not so much 🙂
It was gorgeous despite the rain.
Next morning we headed out and were lulled into this awesome antique market at COVENT GARDEN :
These girls and I emerged with antique rings as souvenirs which we were all pleased as punch about.
Lucy was pretty excited about it too as you can see…
Ha!
We took one of the only fifteen older model double decker busses left to get to St. Paul’s Cathedral.
…and saw this along the way, which I had to take a picture of:
ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL
We sat there in awe of that gorgeous place for a little bit…
…then headed up to the “Whisper Gallery” where some of us were lucky to figure out how to make that thing work.
Then up a little more to the first look-out:
Then up to the Golden Gallery on all these crazy steps.
a little peek into what was clear down below us:
Can you see those teeny-tiny chairs down there?
Then we got to the top.
Lots more about St. Paul’s Cathedral over HERE…it’s one of my favorite spots in London.
…and sent Dave to TATE MODERN with the girls.
They loved this spot.
…and I’m so glad they took some pictures for me.
I love that thing. Such gorgeous views through the London drizzle.
We headed to CAMDEN TOWN next.
…where we picked up some great dinner…
…and nestled curled up together in the only dry spot we could find to eat it up.
Then we took a beautiful walk…
…up to PRIMROSE HILL which had a beautiful view of the city.
Loved getting to know these people so much. What an impact they have had on our family. Love you, Crofts!
Then it was on to our LAST MORNING in London.
We headed here:
…for a tour of the HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT with the nicest blog reader who works there who reached out to Charity to offer to show us around. We love you Marguerite!!
We learned SO much about the history of London government and how it all works in this beautiful spot. Such a great little gift for our family.
…and I mean, POURING.
We walked through it past TRAFALGAR SQUARE…
…to the NATIONAL GALLERY.
…where we met up with Charity and immersed ourselves in the art for a bit.
This was my favorite painting of the day:
It’s called The Adoration of the Shepherds.
Check out those beautiful expressions of awe and wonder.
Some more favorites:
I had a print of that one (above) in my bedroom growing up so I have an extra attachment.
The National Gallery is where we met up with our friends the Linfords who we adore who we hadn’t seen for a couple years.
Portions of the Parthenon:
…and the Ancient Egyptian section.
…complete with mummies.
While they ended up in a taxi to get to WESTMINSTER ABBEY to be there for the Evensong service (which was beautiful I must say).
We bid goodbye to our friends, then also to dear Charity who had taken such great care of us, and headed to the airport for the last segment of this adventure.
More on that before too long (I hope!)
And if you made it this far, congrats for making it through that mass of pictures! I just like those memories too much to skip them!
xoxo
Shawni
17 comments
FABULOUS! We are so proud of that lovable Lucy! It was so great to see England through the eyes of these kids who haven't been before! Our second home is dazzling which is captured here so beautifully! Thanks for the time it takes to post all those pictures! Every one is a treasure!
We are enjoying following along! Thank you for sharing!
Shawni: I LOVE this! You are adventurers! I love how you make it a priority to help Lucy experience as much as you can! You value every moment. It's beautiful and inspiring! Thanks!–M
I loved reading every word and looking at every picture! You had such an amazing adventure in the best city in the world! We miss you guys and love you!!
xoxo Rachel
Shawni I love all your posts of your adventures,thanks for sharing. So happy that you can give those memories and beautiful sights to your children especially Lucy she will remember them in that beautiful brain of hers even if she doesn't get to see them again.😊Amy
I loved this post and the several previous! I studied at BYU in London 10 years ago and looking at all of your pictures took me right back. Thank you for sharing all of your photos and experiences.
Great travel log! Love the pictures and love London!!
Shawni, this was awesome! It's been years since I last travelled to the UK, and I miss it so much!
i would like to know how you convinced dave to hand over the selfies. i am impressed 🙂 it was so so so wonderful to have you here!!!!!
AHHHH! I love all of this!! We are headed to London TODAY. We need Charity and Marguerite to show us around!! haha. Cna't wait to get there!
Great memories and posts about your trip.
Just a mom observaTion…
You know how you shouldn't give a compliment then use the word but, …
It sounds like Lucy deserved all of the praise and excitement from your family but you should have expressed it just as her behavior was–awesome!
It seemed like you emphasized the fact just as much how she can be challenging..can't all children? I felt badly for Lucy that in the same paragraph you expressed her more challenging side which doesn't need to be written about ….she was great on the trip…end of story.
It would be like Lucy writing about you and saying "my mom was so great today, but you should see her normally…she yells all the time." You would only remember the negative part she said.
"That was a huge deal for all of us. We are at the stage where we can all walk…no strollers or baby backpacks or tantrum-throwers laying on random sidewalks kicking their feet. That youngest girl of ours can sometimes be a wildcard, but she wasn't. Not even once. "
"Now, coming home and starting school have been a different story, but there in Europe? Angel child."
I just don't think you should have taken away that moment for her that's all.
Thank you for the constructive advice. I'm sorry you felt like what I wrote took away from her accomplishments. This is just my way to keep it real as a record for our family. The fact that sometimes we don't know what we'll get is part of why it was so celebrated so I wanted to include that part. I hope the bottom line that comes across to blog readers (and to her in the future) is that we are just so proud of her and all she is accomplishing despite her syndrome and the difficult things that come along with it.
Loved this post, Shawni! Love everything you said and the way it was said. Love that you keep things real and beautiful!
Send my confratulations to Lucy, she deserves it. I know how trips like the one you did (all the walking) can be hard. She is a such a trooper!
Love,
Bianca.
Awesome. We leave on Tuesday for London. I can't believe it's almost time to go. You have given me great ideas of things to see and places to go.
Oh my goodness! You went to my hometown of Cambridge. We went back there this Summer, (now living in Utah), and we miss it, and our family lots. So glad you were able to experience just a little bit of it, there is lots more to explore if you have more than a day there.
That is a terrific creation! Décor balls rock, but who would’ve thought they’d be that easy to make? Anyway, I would love to see your garden lit up with those vibrant glass and colored décor balls!best outdoor solar spot lights
Hey Shawni! I don't know if you read past blog comments, but I thought I would try. First of all, thank you for sharing your family with us! My family (9 adults and 2 babies) are planning a trip to London, Paris, and Madrid at the end of July. I am on the hunt for places to stay. I saw you stayed in an airbnb. We would love any pointers you have on how to find a decent place to stay. Thanks in advance for your help!