It's a Small World After All: London at Christmastime

London is such an amazing city. There is so much to see and do- you can’t do it all in one trip. We saw so much- but there was still so much to see! I was exciting about this trip as soon as I opened the travel books. London lived up to my expectations.

We stayed at an apartment right outside of the city, and that in itself was a great experience. It was nice to have bedrooms for everyone, a living area to wind down at the end of the day, a kitchen with everything you need to prepare food. The building was close to a café, restaurant, grocery store, and train station. It had everything we needed. For more information about the apartment, click here.

I should start by telling you that we left for London the day that Byron and Patti flew in. Ben picked them up in Frankfurt and they came to the house, unloaded, reloaded, and then we all drove to Luxembourg City, where we slew out of. With so much to see in such a short time, there is no time for rest! We drug them all over, and they were such troopers!

Day 1- We started at Westminster Bridge, with tours of Parliament and Big Ben. Of course I had to snap a picture of Ben in front of Big Ben. The girls thought it was great! Did you know that Big Ben is actually the name of the bell inside the tower? We stopped midway across the bride to take in the London Eye, The City, and the Thames. We walked to Parliament square, past West Minster Abbey, passing along the Ministry of Defense and #10 Downing Street (home and office of the Prime Minister). We then stopped to pet the horses at Horse Guard Parade. Next, we spent several hours wandering the Churchill War Rooms. The museum includes a tour of several underground rooms which housed the British command center during War World II and also a room focusing on the life of Winston Churchill. If visiting London, I would highly recommend this museum. Next, we found ourselves in front of the huge Christmas tree in the middle of Trafalgar Square. This little walk was a great intro to the city. We ended teh day at the Londin Christmas Market, right under the eye. We walked through the booths, drank gluhwein to keep warm, the girls found a carousal to ride, and ate a delicious cinnamon roll.

Day 2- We began the day at the Tower of London, anxious to see the crown jewels. Then, we walked around a little bit before heading to Westminster Abbey. We wanted to be sure to get there before closing, since yesterday we missed going in. While in Westminster Abbey we listened to an audio guide. It was very neat to hear what all events took place there. Then, we did a walk that started at St. Paul's Cathedral (wouldn't ya know we arrived just after they closed early for the day?). This walk took us through The City. Beginning at the cathedral, we walked to St. Bride's Church (it's layered steeple supposedly inspired the wedding cake), past Dr. Samuel Johnson's house ( he authored the first English dictionary there) and down a busy boulevard to Twinning's Tea Shop where we bought some consumable souvenirs. While these things don't make the "must-see" list, we enjoyed a nice walk and some great coffee among the hustle and bustle of the city.

Day 3- Up and going a little earlier this day, we had an important agenda. We marched over to Buckingham Palace to see the guards. It was the coldest day yet, and the blowing wind chilled our noses and cheeks as we watched the ceremony take place. Afterwards, we traveled back to St. Paul's to see the interior. By now, Ben and I have seen A LOT of A cathedrals throughout Europe. We are about to the point of saying, "If you've seen one, you've seen them all." With that being said, this is one that should not be missed. I was blown away by the grandeur of the place. I could have sat on the pew bench for the rest of the day. The cathedral was absolutely amazing! While Natalie napped and Byron and Patti caught up on the audio commentary, Ben, Avree, and I raced the 500+ steps to the top of the dome for a view worth the hard work. Once we caught our breath, we were ready for the next stop- Regent Street at night. Walking down this busy shopping street was a Christmas shopper's paradise. The streets were dotted with lights, the storefronts decorated up as well. Piccadilly Circus was very lively, with a fountain turned into snow globe and games and rides scattered about. We quickly took it in and walked down to our desired destination- M&M World. With 4 floors of chocolate fun, we probably spent more time and money here than we needed to- but we had a blast doing it!

Day 4- Dragging a little from the day before, we were moving a little slower than usual. We decided to start the day with some kid-friendly activities. For the holiday season, Hyde Park had transformed into a Winter Wonderland. It was the biggest Christmas market I've seen- rows and rows of huts, food, ice skating, and rides glore. Of course we ate some market food. It didn't take long for the girls to tell us they were ready for a ride. Avree picked a carousel and Natalie decided to try out a Fun House for the first time (and although she ran into the glass several times, she did find it fun). After we got out our giggles, we strolled through the remainder of the park and through Kensington Gardens to Kensington Palace. We didn't have as much time here as we would have liked, so we looked fast. On display were some of Princess Diana's dresses, and the girls really enjoyed looking at all of their shimmer and sparkle. We stayed until closing, and then called it a day. We took the metro back toward our apartment and to our favorite restaurant nearby.

I cannot believe all of the awesome sites that we were able to see in these few days. London, I hope to see you again!