One last trip to London

25-28 January 2008

We took one last trip to London. This time it was so we could meet up with Jason's friend Ted. He was kicking off his first European tour there and going to Paris before he met up with us again in Italy. While Ted and Jason went sightseeing, Wren and Lee Anne went off to see dinosaurs at the Natural History museum, fish at the London Aquarium, playground time at Princess Diana Memorial playground in Hyde Park, and loaded up on all things Paddington at the Paddington Bear kiosk in Paddington Station. At the end of all the pictures is a video of Wren playing with the music activities at the Princess Diana playground.


Wren is ready for take off at the Bergamo airport.


Princess Diana Memorial Fountain


Wren liked throwing leaves into the fountain.


Wren in front of a phone box


The Natural History Museum


Wren liked looking at all the animals.


This tree in Hyde Park looked like it was alive - well it is alive - but you know what I mean.


Wren eating a vegetable and cheese pasty at the West Cornwall Pasty Company.


Wren looking at the sharks in the London Aquarium.


Big Ben and the House of Parliament


Wren in front of Big Ben. She was getting sleepy.


The Londn Eye - but we didn't take a ride.


Wren and statue of Queen Victoria in Kensington Park (Kensington Palace is in the background).


Tepees at the Princess Diana Memorial Playground


Cool Ship at the Princess Diana Memorial Playground.


Cute sheep at the Princess Diana Memorial Playground


Another cute sheep at the Princess Diana Memorial Playground


We are all riding the sheep! We look like goobers!


Wren, Jason and Ted at Paddington Station


Wren playing with the musical instruments at the Princess Diana playground.

Moving House

14-16 January 2008

The movers came Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and we are now all packed up and our things are gone! We have moved into a hotel and will be there until mid to late February before we return to Huntsville. Here are some pictures of our move.


All packed up...


...and ready to move.


This was the only place poor Wren could nap while the movers were doing their work.


Jason painting the wall back to its original color. He looks like he's in a haz mat suit to me - or maybe a ghost buster - or a teletubby.


Our little helper!

Happy New Year from the UK

The family in front of St. Michaels Mount in Marazion, Cornwall

27 December 2007 - 5 January 2008

What a great time we had seeing in the New Year from England! We flew into Bristol on 27 December and drove down to the village of Marazion in Cornwall. We stayed there in the Godolphin Arms Hotel for four nights and explored the countryside. Cornwall is one of my favorite parts of England because of the wild coastline and because of all the standing stones, stone circles and burial chambers that can be found there. We then drove over to Southampton here we spent a couple of nights, stopping at the Seal Sanctuary and the Donkey Sanctuary, before going up to London for our last four nights. The highlights of our London stay were the Terracotta Warriors exhibit at the British Museum, the King Tut exhibit at the O2 Millennium Dome, and the Lord of the Rings musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.


The Merry Maidens are 19 stones that form a circle which is probably the best preserved of all the stone circles in Cornwall and is believed to be complete and unaltered.


A standing stone in a field near the Merry Maidens, possibly one of the Pipers which is associated with the circle.


Another standing stone near the Merry Maidens, possibly another Piper.


I can't remember the name of this town but it's pretty.


The Wishing Tree on the path to Madron Holy Well and Celtic Chapel.
Also known as a Clootie Well.


A rainbow in Cornwall near the Wishing Tree and Holy Well.


Lanyon Quoit Burial Chamber


Jason in front of Lanyon Quoit


Lee Anne and Wren at the Men-an-Tol.
It is an atypical megalithic monument because of the stone with the whole and the alignment of the two standing stones at either end. It may have once formed part of stone circle. There is a lot of folklore associated with it, including passing children through it three times to cure rickets as well as for adults to crawl through in order to cure back aches.


Wren at Lizard Point, the southernly most point of England.


This is Magnus, a male grey seal who lives at the National Seal Sanctuary in Gweek, Cornwall. Magnus is in his thirties and was originally rescued by a zoo as a pup from the Isle of May colony in Scotland. He gradually outlived all the other seals until he was the only one left. The Sanctuary heard about Magnus's plight and offered him a home.


Wren and Lee Anne admiring a resident donkey at The Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth, Devon.


New Forest Ponies hanging out in the village green of Beaulieu, Hampshire.



Wren and Jason with the ponies.


Wren at the Oceanarium in Bournemouth, Dorset.


Wren looking at more fishies.


Wren's first roller coaster at the pier in Bournemouth.


Wren in her cute litte London dress - it has Big Ben and double decker buses on it. She's watching a carousel at a chldren's store in London.


The Temple Church in London.


Wren at the British Museum in front of a sign for the Terracotta Warriors exhibit.


Wren riding a reindeer at the winter fair in Hyde Park, London.