London

Next it was off to London. Again there is so much to see and enjoy and it is impossible to have enough time

We have been on a Harry Potter tour. This started as we stepped off the Eurostar at Kings Cross St Pancreas Station. We quickly made our way to find platform 9 3/4 which these days is located between platforms 8 and 9. Later on our tours, we have been to other locations where they have filmed scenes in the films. It seems Harry Potter has used most every Cathedral, Cloister and College that exists in this country to film scenes in the films.

We also went looking for Monopoly streets, often coming across them on our walks, and ticking them off the list. 

London is such a huge city but we kept finding our selves walking past interesting places quite by accident. The best of these was finding the only specialist flute shop in the UK. It was on a street round the corner from our hostel. Ellie bought herself a Piccolo which will be a very special souvenir of her journey. She has been busy practising it. She even earned a pound playing in the kitchen at the youth hostel the day she bought it.

We have been impressed by the English skills at bringing history to life at the sights. We learned a lot about life in Tudor times at Hampton Court Palace. Actors and historians were dressed in period clothes and acted out the day of the last one of Henry VIII's weddings. The wedding, to Catherine Parr, went on throughout the day. There was also the opportunity to talk to the actors to learn about the roles they were playing. We even ran into one of these people the next day at the Tower of London. This time he was playing a character several hundred years earlier than the day before. Interestingly we found that whilst outlined, the parts are not scripted and the actors (who differ day by day) work it out themselves with a lot of ad libbing so each day is a little different. This type of experience is all new since our last trip to the UK. History is brought to life and gives context to the experience and makes it all seem real and easier to interpret to both children and the big people who have little people in tow.

They Europeans are also very skilled at entertaining the children appropriately. We spent a whole day at the Tate Modern art gallery. A special audio guide for the children kept them entertained for hours. It even had games based on the art to play. The adults had museum fatigue, however the kids wanted to keep going.

The London Eye was another hit. As were the Tower of London with the Beefeaters who don't like being called Beefeaters! And Tower Bridge, not London Bridge as our 'Beefeater' guide at the Tower pointed out quite forcefully.

A big highlight was going to see Oliver on stage at the Theatre Royale on Drury Lane with dinner in Covent Garden thrown in. How could you not see an English show at a signature West End theatre if the opportunity arose? And getting half price tickets in Leicester square is just so easy.

We have got a kick out of those little words that the English use so well with that unmistakable accent like:

"brilliant", "rubbish", "very good", "lovely", "frightfully" and "oh, right"

Then of course there are those little phrases that appealed to us on signs around the place:

"lets have a little chat about the loo..." = toilet rules

"not yet recycleable" = can't recycle

“if you are lucky enough to look under 21” = if you look under 21

and our top pick;

"devour before" = for best before on a packet of crisps.

We do like the English way of presenting things like this, much more polite than the Australian bluntness and with anywhere from just a hint to a decent lashing of humour all at the same time.