Category: Glenn

We did do other things such as pick up our car and walk through a mall, but today was about visiting the castle.  (we did spend some time getting settled into the new hotel.  It for pretty much what we expected.  Now that we are here, and knowing how much we used our kitchen in London, I wish that I had paid more and gone for an apartment style hotel.  Thatsaid, what is done is done and we have a good location so move forward positively.).

Both Glenn and I have been to the castle before but it was fun watching it come alive through the eyes of a child.  Katrine noticed the fortifications right away and it was neat seeing her connect some of them to descriptions from the Magic Treehouse book series.  Elspeth preferred to enjoy the views.  “Oh look!  Mountains!  I see mountains!”. During the last renovations a hands on children’s section was added.  That was one of our first stops.  The girls tried out replic harps and drums, watched an animatronic jester, dressed up as medieval princesses among other things.  They had a grand time doing it too.  Theaffaire they were kids, racing through the cobble stone courtyard, twirling in the middle of the grand hall orclimbing on top of the cannons to see the view.  To top it off, the sun was shining.

After a delightful dinner, we took a family walk by the river.  The walk actual involved more running and squealing thaactual walking but it was a lot of fun.  Once my toe stops hurting I am hoping to drift off to sleep (no tv with only one room).  Tomorrow we are heading in to Callander.

The rain held off today and allowed us a nice day out and about.  We began with a walk through Kensington Gardens.  I would love to say that we got to run and play but the large Princess Diana playground was closed for maintance.  We did see the Peter Pan statue before cutting our visit short and heading to Paddington Station…to visit Paddington Bear of course.  (That was mostly for me although the girls enjoyed getting some Paddington books.)

Then it was off to meet my Cousin Lil who I haven’t seen since our wedding.  It was wonderful to see her again and it was made even better by the fact that the girls connected with her right away.  Together we enjoyed lunch and then did some arts and crafts.  More specifically brass rubbings in the crypts of a church and then drawing paintings at the National Museum.  It was very relaxing and then hard to say goodbye.  I wish that she lived closer.

Before heading back to the hotel we had to make a stop at King’s Cross so that Katrine could get a photo taken going through the wall at platform 9 3/4.  To say she was excited is to put it mildly.

Tomorrow we head to the British Museum and then train it up to Scotland.

After a final visit to the boulangerie it was off to the train station for us.  We figured out that we were suppose to be leaving from the first floor so we walked from one end to the other….not our train.  Okay, find employee and use my French one last time to find out where the heck the train was on the first floor when we had walked the length of the station and not seen it.  Oh.  Turns out that we were on the ‘ground’ floor and needed to schlep everything up the stairs to the ‘firstfloor rot.  We did so thinking to ourselves “this is the second floor damn it.  Now we are in a rush.”. Still made the train so in the end not a big deal but frustrating.  When we take the next leg of our journey we are going to plan on arriving even earlier to help compensate for this possibility.

Going through the French countryside was beautiful.  I loved the small towns and green fields, as well as the many fields of bright yellow flowers which I believe are mustard plants.  The Chunnel portion of the ride kinda unsettled Elspeth.  She had difficulty reconciling that it was suddenly dark.  It all sorted itself once we were back outside.  Glenn and I had hoped that Elspeth would nap on the train.  No such luck,  yet another day with a tired girl.

After checking in to our hotel it was off to ride the tube and do walkbys of Buckingham Palace (“Does the queen really live there?”), Westminster Abbey (“hey, that big prince’s wedding was there.) and the Parliment Buildings.  When Katrine saw the London Eye she was so excited.  “It’s the big ferris wheel from Phineas and Ferb!”. On the was, we went through St James Park only it turned out to be Green Park which made sense as there was an awful lot of grass.  Turned the mistake into fun by showing the girls how to roll down a hill.  It was great to see a mistake  reading a map turn into a big batch go giggles and smiles.  As we continued onward, we did end up traveling through St James Park (We had turned left at Queen Victoria fountain instead of right.).  How happy were the girls to see the birds – pigeons, geese, and many varieties of ducks.  Pointing, naming them and chasing them.  I remember feeding the ducks when I came to London with my family as a kid.  I wonder if thgreater the grand kids of those ducks?

We grabbed the tube again to the Tower of London.  Not to see the tower but to see Tower Bridge.  It was scheduled to go up today.  This only happens about twice a year.  I knew it was something that both Glenn and Katrine would enjoy and I thought that Elspeth could get into it once things got started. However, the timing got moved up Nd the bridge had both raised and lowered by the time we arrived which left us with nothing to do but get dinner and head backhot the hotel.

Today was a Versailles day.  We began with the gardens which weregorgeous!  Topiaries, hedges, statues, fountains. All breathtakingly beautiful.  A light snack by the Grand Canal and it was off to see the world of Marie Antoinette.  I had hoped to see the whole of her world but it was simply too much.  The girls enjoyed the gardens around the two Trianon palaces.  They coolected pebbles, chestnuts and flower petals.  Admired fountains.  Sat onbenches.  They enjoyed the smaller palace as well and I have to agree.  It was a highlight of the day for me.  It felt almost like a grand home as opposed to a palace.  No gilding just lots of windows and clean stone work.  Marie Antoinette’s bedroom was oh so pink which got rave reviews from the girls.  However, by the time we exited they were oh so ready for lunch which was to be had back at the canal so no visit to her farm or fantasy gardens this go round.  That said, our lunch picnic in the suMoore than made up for it.

After lunch?  Well, more fountains of course!  Both girls are quite fond of fountains so they were happy as clams.  Katrine also insisted on seeing the orangerie where Elspethdesperately wanted to pick an orange.

Then it was off to see the inside of the palace.  We were able to walk right in.  No extra long line up by three in the afternoon.  It was smooth sailing until about the hall of mirrors.  Stunning murals on ceilings, gilt work every where and the views from the windows -stunning.  The hall of mirrbelieved up to expectations.  As Katrine said, “Over the top!”. By the time we hit the royal bedrooms and dining rooms we seem to have caught up with multiple tour groups.  People pushing…okay it’s crowded I can deal.  Then someone started patting Elspeth on the head from behind while we were being pushed forward.  I was able to channel my anger and escape by shoving my way through (apologies to those I rudelyshifted butI pleaseI understand that it was for my child).  That was the final straw.  I mean, what type of person just reaches out to touch a child?  It is wrong on so many levels.  Thankfully Elspeththinks it was “mama touch my hair when I scared”.  We left.

Glenn asked to have galettes again for his birthday dinner.  We went to a different place this time but that is another post.  On our way back tot the hotel we walked through Les Jardins Luxembourg.  I had hoped that the playground would be open but it was closing as we arrived.  We did manage to catch the last sarosel ride of the day much to the girls delight.  I have never before seen a suspended carousel (no bottom floor, the horse simply hang from the ceiling).  The riders on the outside were each given a stick.  As the carosel turned they could try to hook metal rings off of a pole with their stick.  Katrine actually managed to hook a pair while Elspeth, well she just waved the stick about.

And so our time here is drawing to a close.  One morevisit to the boulangerie for pastries tomorrow morning, some French cartoons and then we are on the train to London.  I have enjoyed Paris but I do believe that my feet will enjoy some rest tomorrow before the next round of walking begins.