Going from Paris to London was a trip in itself. We booked the high speed Chunnel train and was impressed with its high end accomondations, and its extreme speed. The only downside was the ordeal in checking in. All throughout Europe, getting on and off trains couldn't have been easier. Checking in for the Chunnel train was more like flying in the U.S. - long lines, serious security, and required a two hour prearrival. Once on the train we settled in and enjoyed the French countryside blowing by at over 150 mph. I had wandered what the entrance of the Chunnel would look like, would it be an impressive entrance or just a typical concrete hole? Somehow I was watching at the right time and caught a glimpse of the entrance - a concrete hole with a basic sign.
Going under the English Channel only took about fifteen minutes and then suddenly there were English words again. It had been almost five weeks since we have seen English, and it was nice to feel like we were getting closer to home. Arriving in London, we jumped over to their Underground system and made our way to our hotel. I almost forgot to mention that today is St. Patrick's Day. I know that the best place to be is Ireland, but second best has to be London. We were immediately handed "free" Guinness draft flyers, good at any Pub, which are everywhere. After checking in, we headed for a classic Pub lunch - meat, potatoes, and a pint of Guinness.
Later that day, we headed to the Tower of London for their twilight tour featuring all the history of executions and murders commited over the centuries in this historic building. The tour was led by one of their guards - the Beefeaters and was very amusing to the boys. Sally wasn't so enthusiatic about the multiple beheadings, but enjoyed the unique history of this place. After the tour, we headed to Piccadilly Square to get the full effect of the St. Patrick festivities and find dinner. The streets were full of revelers and all the typical restaurants were packed. After five attempts to get in a restaurant, we became somewhat frustrated, but luck was on our side when we spotted a Thai restaurant - not the place you normally go on St. Patatrick's Day. The place was empty and the food was great. We ended the night with more street watching and then headed home. I finished the night with two more free pints of Guinness at the corner pub, bringing my daily intake to about 9 pints...can you say bloated.
Since London has so much to see, the next day we decided to do a classic double decker bus tour throughout the City. The weather was clear and cool and everyone enjoyed seeing the sights. We jumped off to have lunch at the original Hard Rock cafe and ended up staying over two hours. The day ended by heading to Oxford Circus to check out the shopping district. The boys' highlight was playing in Hamley's Toy Store. At 250 years old it is the oldest toy store in the world. I would have thought that after seeing the sights of the world, a toy store would be a little boring, but kids are kids and who doesn't like toys. The next day we are off to our last stop of this incredible journey, Ireland. Can our good luck hold out?
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