David's Diary: Sunday, July 1, 2001

London, England

Everyone slept in until 11:00 AM London time -- not bad considering the eight-hour time change from Vancouver to London. After breakfast we all headed out and went for our first trip on the London Underground. We made our way back to Piccadilly where we had been the night before and then walked to Trafalgar Square to catch one of the London tour buses.

Big Ben

The tour bus was a quick way to introduce the children to the many sights in London. We traveled down Whitehall, past the Prime Minister's residence, listened to Big Ben ringing, then continued on South of the River Thames.

Our journey continued into the City of London, past St. Paul's Cathedral, and then on to the Tower of London. Our trip back took us along the Thames, but at this point both adults and children were running out of steam. We took the underground towards home, but we first stopped at a Sainsbary's (a large grocery store chain in the UK). We arrived around 4:45 PM and we were surprised when at 5:00 PM we were told that the store was closing. We only had minutes to complete a week's grocery shopping. It was a challenge, but we did manage to get everything on our list.

Kitchen at Rutland Place

A major advantage of renting an apartment instead of a hotel room is the availability of both a kitchen and laundry facilities. For our second night in London, we cooked a roast lamb with roast vegetables and a fresh salad. It was lovely to have a home cooked meal served on in the dining room of our apartment. Not only was it less expensive than eating out, but it also helps keep the family together. Mealtime provides us with the time to discuss the day and plan for tomorrow. Our first full day in London was a busy one, but we feel like we are settling in.