London- That’s all she wrote!

 

Well folks, my last day in London is now over- we leave bright and early in the morning to take a train to Scotland! 

As I told Brian- my sightseeing is over, but my VACATION has begun!

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Thank you for all of your opinions on the last post, we went ahead and headed to St. Paul’s Cathedral this morning.

It was spectacular.

It also had a huge courtyard area where the boys could run free and jump off of stairs. 

Which is always a bonus

We also had our second ever experience with PAY toilets! (our first was at the Tower of London)  50 pence per person!  (about $1!!)

 

(Isn’t Isaac looking old?)

It was quite a lot of hullabaloo to get wheelchair access to bring my stroller inside the cathedral to the stroller checkpoint- I had to sign a sheet and give them my address, and get a special elevator-key, but we had come this far!  We were going in!

(not sure why he was plugging his ears as nothing was happening)

As I was getting the stroller situated to drop it off and getting my backpack on for Isaac, he came inches- INCHES!- away from blowing out the prayer candles that people had lit!

And then when I grabbed him and stuck him on my back he started crying and screaming right in the cathedral hall! 

But, quick thinking saved the day and I had a binkie in my pocket (I found 3 more by the way! whew!) that did the trick!

(no pictures were allowed inside, sadly)

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I had also given Joseph a pep talk that if he was good, respectful, and only talked in whispers, that he could have candy after we left the church.

Bribery works people!  Because he was an ANGEL!

He did try to climb on the…coffin area?...of the crypt (is it called a coffin if it is above ground?), but other than that, he stayed right by me, whispering questions.  And who doesn’t want to climb on a crypt, am I right?

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We didn’t make it all the way up to the dome, but we did make it to the Whisper Gallery, which is about halfway up and approximately 250 stairs each way. (Joseph and I counted, but I was pretty out of breath and I may have missed some)

250 stairs with Isaac on my back.

I deserve these chocolates that I am eating right now!

Anyway, it was gorgeous and HUGE and spectacular!

I am so glad I went!

Another thing that was cool about the cathedral was that it was in a section of London called Cheapside, which I have always heard about from Jane Austen (anybody?) and was excited to see.

It was not actually a slum, as the name suggests, but a market and the streets are all named “poultry”, “wood”,”milk” etc.

We had lunch in another courtyard behind the cathedral

(Joseph is mixing it up with some turkey/avocado)

It was so beautiful, and I heard the bells start chiming, and just as I was getting out my camera so that I could film it, a mariachi band started playing.

That’s right, a MARIACHI band! (?!)

So, we headed on out,

to the subway station with no lift, which had 128 stairs (there was a sign that had the number as a warning).

At that point I decided that I was done adventuring for this visit!

I saw lots of things that I wanted to see and I just had peace that this was the end.  The boys were done, I was done, WE were done.

I enjoyed the train ride back to the hotel a little more knowing that this was the last one, and I let Isaac “sit like a big boy” next to me, and Joseph sit “all by hisself!” in the seat in front.

 

We all took nice long naps, talked to my mom/mommo on the phone, and met Brian for a nice dinner.

London, complete.

PS: I am not sure how blogging will go next week- we are staying at bed and breakfasts so internet will be questionable, plus I will have Brian to keep me company, and he is much cuter than this old laptop!

Wish us luck!