What's up with Glenn, Heather, Katrine, and Elspeth
Science Museum:
Baba got a lot of loving as we walked around to the various museums.
Natural History Museum:
National Gallery:
Only kids drawing in the whole museum but they can up with some really nice pieces.
Brass Rubbing Museum (located in St Martins in the Fields Church beside Trafalgar Square):
You did the rubbings beside the crypts and could then go inside for tea.
British Museum:
Holding British Roman artifacts.
We spent a lot of time looking at birds because Elspeth loved them. She would hold full conversations for pigeon pairs who we passed on the street.
“Mommy where you going?”
“I going to the museum.”
“What will we see?”
“Stuff.”
At Kensington Gardens we saw more birds as well as a little ramp so that the ducks could climb in and out of the fountain pools.
Then at the Science Museum Elspeth even got to be a bird!
First a glimpse at our hotel and the girls’ favourtie hiding place.
Gotta see Buckingham Palace.
We had to buckle in Elspeth’s chips because it was such a windy day.
Then off to Green Park.
Now some familiar sights.
Oh how these small signs drove us crazy. They are quite difficult to see on the sides of building, especially when multiple streets go at angles from each other. Made navigating an adventure.
These stalls lined the banks of the Seine river. I wondered what they were on the first morning until I saw them opened up.
Water bottle filling stations:
Gardens:
Also, happy Mother’s Day as well as Happy Birthday Glenn!
Versailles:
Mommy why are all the people naked? (Giggle giggle)
Inside:
PetitTrianon or Marie Antoinette’s world:
There was also the largest pool table that I have ever seen.
After a train ride back with muscial accompaniment and a yummy dinner we stopped at yet another park to ride yet another merry go round. This one had dangling ponies and riders were given short sticks to try and catch hanging rings as they rode around.
Eiffel Tower:
There was a small playground just to one side of the Champs de Mers which was a nice break for the girls.
Tuilleries Gardens:
The fun began just outside the gates to the gardens at the obelisk and first of many fountains. (The girls LOVE fountains.)
There was a merry go round with a beautifully painted ceiling.
Another huge playground.
Oh no! Mom is getting tired. Now what? Why are they so happy?
As well as the lovely gardens themselves.
Oh! There was also one of the fanciest, and cleaniest (likely because you had to pay to use it), bathrooms I have ever seen. The girls and I were ushered into the wheelchair bathroom because of the stroller. There was a large alcove off to the side which served no purpose but to house a window, a small candalarbre and a floral arrangement. As you can see from the photos, it was quite a large decorative space.
Louvre:
When we arrived in front of Notre Dame, we were greeted by the smell of fresh baking bread. Ugh! They were holding a celebration of bread festival. Okay Heather, suck it up and pretend that you still enjoy this smell because I bet that this will be interesting for the girls.
I waited outside the tent where the bread making demos were being held and when Elspeth got bored, she joined me. It was then that she saw it. She broke out in a grin from ear to ear. I turned around. It was my worst nightmare come true. There in the middle of the square was a pool of wheat!
This island is located in the middle of the Seine river and is home to two gorgeous churches.
Saint Chapelle:
Notre Dame:
This is how exhausted Elspeth was on our first day. We ended up buckling her in so that she wouldn’t fall out head first.
Oh sorry, make that exhausted.
Okay, I thought that I would take a moment from uploading photos of our trip to bring you up to date on our return to reality. Since arriving home we have tackled the normal chores (cleaning, laundry, shopping…), bought new skates for Katrine and ordered her next skating dress, planted our garden and gone to the zoo. The last was our effort today to exhaust Elspeth so that she would maybe sleep through the night. Katrine is mostly back to normal but the rest of us are suffering. You see, Elspeth seems to be on an inbetween schedule which has her waking up repeatedly through the night and in the process waking both Glenn and I up. Fingers crossed that the zoo, gardening and then outside playtime will do the trick tonight.
Anyways, the pandas are now at the zoo where they will stay for the next five years. The girls were very excited today and danced their way in to the zoo. Elspeth broke into fits of giggles when she saw the display of panda poop. “Wow mommy! That is a BIGGGG poop.”
There were a number of informational displays and interactive displays in the Panda Experience section that led into the panda enclosure. One that amazed Katrine focused on the size of a adult panda’s hand. “Mom! Come see! Baba’s hand is about the size of a panda’s.” Who knew that I had a husband with panda sized hands?
Then it was the main event. Their absolute cuteness did not disappoint. I mean, just look at that face.
On the way out, the girls saw the zoo’ new panda mascots. I was sure that Katrine would ask for a photo give that here was a walking, giant stuffed bear but Elspeth has always shyed away from any ‘character’. Not today though. Both girls asked to have their photo taken. Plus, when Elspeth was done she declared, “I like the panda. He patted my head. He was nice.”
This is the last post about the food from our trip. I promise. Soon I will get around to uploading some actual photos of the girls and the stuff that we saw and did.
Some very scottish flavours of chips/crisps:
Ice Cream anyone? How about an oyster?:
When we were kids at my Grandma’s, some nights the “Icy”, or ice cream truck, would come around near her house. She would dig out her change purse and send Scott and I out to buy some sweeties. One of his favourites was an oyster. As you can see in the photo, it is quite an ice cream.  I put in the one of Elspeth because Glenn was going to get himself an ice cream the day we were in Falkirk because it was so hot; then he saw the ice cream that they gave to Elspeth and changed his mind. But look at how happy she was.
It is a wafer “shell” filled with marshmallow, ice cream and a flake bar.
Admiring the Rosetta Stone.
My all time favourite
“Mommy! Where the rich people got married on television!” “Yes Katrine. That is where the prince and princess got married.”
One heck of a fancy toilet!
Looking pretty tired right?