We got off to an early start, since we were planning on going to the Twinings shop. We headed up to Merstham station, and Maggie and I sang Christmas carols on the way. Today, we went into London Bridge (frequently, we go into London Victoria instead), and after our arrival we went into the Borough Market. The Borough Market is kind of like a farmers' market, but it also has people selling their farm-grown lamb, home-made meat pies, fish, chocolates, pies, and cakes, breads, cheeses, and wines and beers. We went by a stall selling bread and Dalton decided that he wanted a baguette. Dalton has always been fond of bread, but since Paris, he has grown even more fond of bread.
Cue moment number 1. We bought the baguette, which he then agreed to share with Maggie. Not bad for a start. He then told Mich that he was going to give some to a poor person. Sure enough, coming out of the market, we walk by this guy sitting down and looking tired, worn out, cold, and hungry. Dalton goes up to him and breaks off about half the baguette and hands it to him. I don't know what the guy thought, but I was proud of Dalton.
We then rode to Charing Cross and walked down the Strand to the Twinings tea shop. Unfortunately, it was closed. However, we did stop by the skating rink at the Somerset House, which was pretty neat. After a brief stopover to watch the skaters, we headed back up the Strand, and then up to Covent Garden, where we stopped for lunch at Ponti's, partly because everyone was getting hungry, but partly because everyone was cold and we wanted to eat inside where it was warm.
After lunch, we wandered Covent Garden for a while and bought presents for most of the people remaining on our list. Cue moment 2. Covent Garden has people playing music there most of the time, buskers of one sort or another. Today, in the lower halls, a group of people were playing classical music. (Imagine a group that might play classical music in Key West, and you've probably got the idea.) We all stopped to watch for a bit, and then I popped into a shop to see if I could do some more of our shopping. When I came out, I saw Dalton in front of the group, collecting up money that had fallen out of their basket - which was strewn all over the floor in front of them. He went around, collecting up all the money, putting it in the basket, and then brought the basket back to the group. One of the violinists got the crowd (and there was a good sized crowd there) to give Dalton a big round of applause, and then the cellist offered Dalton his choice between a ten-pound note and a CD. Dalton chose the CD.
I later found out that while I was in the store, someone had tossed some change towards the basket and had missed. Dalton had scooted out and put the change in the basket. The cellist, having a bit of fun with him, bumped the basket a bit and made some of the change fall back out. Dalton picked it up again and put it back in the basket. This went back and forth, until the cellist accidentally kicked the basket and then the money really did go everywhere - which is when I came out.
After that, we went through Trafalgar Square, with its giant tree, and where several Santas had gathered up next to Nelson's column. We sat and watched them for a bit, before heading up to Piccadilly Circus and Regent Street. We had promised Dalton a few weeks ago that he could go to Hamley's before we left to go home for Christmas, and so this was our final destination for the day. We made it through the crowds to Hamley's and Hamley's was packed.
I often wonder what the impact of living here for two years will be, especially when I come back to a different mode of life. This was one of those times. Specifically, Michelle and I both questioned whether, after Hamley's today, we would ever go anywhere that would seem crowded ever again. I was trying to think of a way to describe it, and it just seems unbelievable, unless, of course, you've been there. There was a queue just to go up the escalator.
We made it out after dark (although that's not saying much - sunset today: 3:52 pm) and walked back down to Piccadilly Circus, back to Trafalgar Square (where now there were carollers and a nativity), and then to Charing Cross.
3 comments:
J., the impact will be that you will have experienced something that many of us will never have the opportunity or the courage to do and your children will have a much wider understanding and appreciation of the world around them. And through whatever hardships you have/had to endure through the two years, you'll have also had magical times as you've just described and your family will be the better and more blessed for it.
Gostei muito desse post e seu blog é muito interessante, vou passar por aqui sempre =) Depois dá uma passada lá no meu site, que é sobre o CresceNet, espero que goste. O endereço dele é http://www.provedorcrescenet.com . Um abraço.
I'm so proud of Dalton. He's such a good kid. It's amazing how quickly they mature at this age. They are just really beginning to get an impression of how big the world is and how we impact others. How the world isn't just about us. And this London-experience is helping broaden that view for your children and maturing them quickly into giving, observant young people. They are blessed to have that.
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