Our youngest slept in my bed all night. He seems to know when Cole is out of town he can get away with sleeping in our bed. The kids get ready and out the door, and we grab a pack of mini muffins and crackers to go from a convenience shop. We bus to Victoria, and eat muffins for breakfast on the bus. Food on the bus is allowed but make sure to be considerate and keep clean! We then walk to Wellington Barracks on Birdcage Walk to see Irish Guards after the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. The boys loved seeing the guards! We walk to the front of Buckingham Palace and it starts to drizzle rain. The boys still want to stay and see the guards even though it’s raining. We eat more muffins, watch the guards, and we decide since its raining we should go visit Westminster Abbey. We walk from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey along St. James’s Park then wait in line to enter the Abbey, eat crackers, and research places for a kid-friendly and not outrageously expensive Afternoon Tea. We end up deciding on The English Rose Cafe – and it turns out it is perfect! The kids were great waiting in line at the Abbey and when we enter the kids each get an audio tour. V helps guide kids through the Abbey, and the kids love the audio guide. We see and learn so much. It is such a beautiful Abbey. Our oldest says its “like a big indoor cemetery!” After the tour we take the bus from Westminster Abbey to Victoria, and walk to The English Rose Cafe. We order afternoon tea with chamomile tea and it was amazing and delicious and the kids absolutely loved it! The boys loved the tea cups and saucers, three tiered cake stand with cakes (lemon cake, Victoria sponge cake, and carrot cake), finger sandwiches (tuna corn, ham and dijon, chutney and cheddar) and scones with clotted cream and jam. R said, “I could eat this every day for the rest of my life!” The kids were so happy and V was too! We had some time to spare before heading home so we walk to the underground, and take the tube to South Kensington, and walk from the tube to the Natural History Museum. We spend 2 hours at the museum before they close. We visit the Creepy Crawlies exhibit, and the exhibit on rocks, volcanoes and earthquakes. We stay until closing and bus home to Clapham Junction with a stop at Waitrose to grab dinner (grapes, strawberries, cucumber, apples, crispy chicken, salt and vinegar chips, Cadbury chocolate). After dinner the boys talk to C on the phone. C is at the airport in Ireland ready to fly home for one night before going to Italy. We have family scripture reading, prayer, then bed. C arrives home for the night very late before having to leave for Italy in the early morning before kids wake up!
Things to Know:
*Watching the Guards at Wellington Barracks and Buckingham Palace is FREE
*Admission to Westminster Abbey requires purchase of a ticket for adults and children (6-17 years)
*FREE for children 5 and under
*Family rates available
*Horseferry Playground is FREE. Toilets available for children.
*Highly recommend The English Rose Cafe for afternoon tea!