Sunday, November 13, 2011

Ben, Duncan and Rebecca report on Sunday in London

REBECCA:   Jim, Ben and Elizabeth arrived in London for a week long visit (with all the usual jet lag).  They managed to battle their way from Heathrow to Woodside Lane, and we forced them to stay awake another 6 or so hours (to truly exhaust themselves to get over the jet lag).  :-)

On the River Boat Cruise
Tower Bridge
BEN: We got up really early in the morning and I was so jet lagged, and i hadn't slept all night... and it was so hard to get up in the morning. Still we did it!   Then we caught the tube into town to take a river tour on the Thames.

We saw lots of stuff, including the Tower Bridge, and the Tower of London, which was the place where people got their heads cut off. 

 
View of the Thames from the top of the hill
In Greenwich
DUNCAN:  At the end of the line, we stopped in Greenwich. I know... from the way they spell it, it looks like you should say "GREEN WITCH", but they pronounce it like "GREN ITCH", so just deal with it. Then we went to a market. Mom bought some chocolate mint coffee beans, and then we saw some really cool pocket watches, and we each got one! 

cool pocket watches

Romantic moments!
 BEN:  And then we went to a pub, for a couple of pints (of diet coke). We also got burgers and chips. Some of the adults got romance.

Royal Observatory with Red Ball
REBECCA:  At the Greenwich Park we saw a bunch of stuff. We walked up to the top of the hill and saw the Observatory.  There is a red ball on the top of the observatory... it goes up or down (who can remember) at 12 or 1 daily....it marks Greenwich Mean Time (I have never understood why time has to be mean.... why couldn't it be Greenwich Gentle Time?)
General Wolfe (with pidgeon on hat)

We also saw a statue of General Wolfe, according to the plaque, the "Victor of Quebec".  Every time I see him, i wonder how life would have been if he had lost.  Would I be typing this post in french instead of english?  Maybe I would be a better cook, and dress with a bit more flair?
Ben shocking the line
We also headed off to stand with one foot in the west and one foot in the east on the world-famous Prime Meridian of the World, Longitude 0 degrees, 0 feet, 0 inches!...basically, the opposite cut from the equator... Here we some snaps of us ...with one foot on each side of the line.
 
Duncan groovin' the line

Elizabeth straddling the line

Shaking hands across the line

Going up in the Eye!
Duncan: After we left Greenwich, we went on the London Eye. You think it is going to be really fun when you are right about to get on, and then you start to worry, what if this thing falls, and that is a bit freaky. But when you get to the top, it was no so bad.

Rebecca:  with all the soft lighting, the photos came out funny.... these guys look like the Blue Men!  :-)


Ben: And then we went and had crepes with nutella. One second the crepe is there, and the next, they are history!   Expect more from us later....

4 comments:

  1. "It's Green Itch so deal with it" And the parents are getting romance!!?? WTF!

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  2. This was an excellent blog. I have to say, Duncan and Ben are very evocative writers ... I got nervous just reading about getting onto the London Eye, and can absolutely imagine eating my crepe slowly while Ben enviously regrets having gobbled his up so quickly!

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  3. Lovely to read about all your exciting visits ,the weather seem to be very nice,how lucky can you get!!!!!

    Gteat blog! write some more E and Jim,How about skip?

    Josephine

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  4. How great to share your adventures! Great comments.

    Rosalyn

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