So, here we are in London!
It's not that we haven't traveled since 2013, but we haven't been away from home more than a week or two until now. Firelord has another sabbatical - right now! This trip has us 1 night in Iceland, 9 in London, 3 in Paris, 6 in Edinburgh, 7 on a narrow boat, and 1 night back in London before our long flight home.
I'm writing from an AirBnB in London's zone 1, near the south bank. I can see the London Eye from our living room window. We can just make out the Elizabeth Tower where Big Ben is.
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| View from our apt. London Eye right of center, the wee castle looking tower to the left is Parliament. |
Did you know that Big Ben is the bell in the tower, and not the tower itself? You don't see Big Ben, you hear it. I did not know that until two days ago.
There's lots of things I didn't know. Like, did you know that on the tube (subway to a Yank) another one will be coming in a couple of minutes and you don't have to crowd in, block the door and nearly leave your 11 year old behind? These are good things to know.
There's a lot of things you can know, but not KNOW, until you experience them. That's part of why we travel. I'm trying to remember that, as I sit in the central London apartment with a jet-lagged family, listening to the ever-present sirens that are part of city life anywhere, waiting for Bit-Boy to get out of the shower where he's trying to steam out a sinus infection, waiting for a surly Lego Kid to wake up, and generally feeling like a hobbit.
"We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!”
