Our Travels: Last Full Day in London

After a wonderful sleep in we set off today with no real agenda other than to swing by Hamley's Toy Shop on Regent's Road. After a quick detour at King's Cross Station, we did just that! We got there not too long after opening and so it was much less crowded than other times we had walked by, so that was very nice. It is basically wonderland for kids. There are 6 floors of toys, from baby things to video games and everything in between. Josh especially loved Floor 5 with its large selection of Lego and a huge candy shop. I do mean huge! I think a large portion of our visit to Hamley's was spent deciding what kind of sweet to buy! In the end, Josh chose a caramel cupcake and a British candy called Millions. They look like tiny pieces of bubble gum and the texture is similar, only it isn't gum. It's kind of like when you bite into the hard shell on a gum ball. Of course, he did get bubblegum flavor. But, they are pretty tasty - we all liked them! The only down side to the store was that we wanted to get Josh something, but everything he like was much too big to take home, or it was something we could easily get in the states. I think he left the store, not quite as excited as when he went in, but he still really liked it.

After toy-browsing it was time for our favorite past time - the hunt for lunch! Jeff really wanted some type of Indian food so he had already found a place nearby called Kati Roll that did wraps. We ordered two Chicken Tikka rolls and waited. And waited. Then waited some more... But when they came, man were they good! Jeff had one and Josh and I shared one. They were spicy, but I think it was mostly due to garlic. Josh was still hungry so we cruised back to a flat bread place we saw earlier that did spelt flatbread pizzas. Another winner! It had meatballs, garlic sauce, and arugula and man was it tasty!

With the primal urge for food satisfied, we meandered toward St. James Park, popping in and out of shops and doing some final souvenir shopping. Wandering around St. James Park was thoroughly enjoyable. There are lovely ponds with swans and other waterfowl - Josh loved watching the geese, swans, and coots by the banks, gobbling up food. The grounds are beautiful with lush flower beds and stately trees. We saws signs for a playground so we went to investigate, but upon arrival, we found that it was better suited for smaller kids. So we improvised, finding a nice patch of lawn and laying down for a nap :)

After a quick recharge of the batteries we headed off to the waterfront. We wanted to go to the Tower Bridge area to hunt down a Tesla display in front of the Design Museum. Since we had done lots of buses and subways we opted to take a boat on the Thames - something we hadn't done before. The ride was very pleasant, even though, it was a little rough - just a little! We got some entertaining commentary on the way from the boatman and then it was time to walk again. After a few stops and starts, we finally found the display on the opposite side of the River from the Tower of London and a bit further down. It is the chassis of the Model S in a cube outside of the museum. It appears to be part of an exhibition on innovation. We photographed, posted on FB and checked it off our list!

We had wanted one more dinner out, but on arriving at the restaurant Jeff thought looked promising, we found it closed for renovation. It was okay though, that has to happen at least once a trip! It did however, present us with one more opportunity for Indian food. For several days now, we have passed a take away shop called the Bombay Burrito. Jeff had read that they had good reviews and he was dying to go. So while Josh and I hung out in the room, Jeff went to procure food - a Tikka Masala Burrito from the shop and then a meat pie and mash from another shop. Both were fantastic! I doubt you will ever find a burrito like that anywhere else. Of course, we devoured everything so fast, we didn't take any pictures!

Now it is time to relax, pack, and watch England vs. Scotland on the telly. It's the first time they have played each other in 14 years. There were Scotsmen in kilts all over town today. It's quit a game, currently tied 2-2! Anyway, it is a nice way to unwind before a long travel day tomorrow!