My family's last day with me in London...sigh. It'll be strange to be by myself in the city for a bit, but I know the time I spend here with my group will be rewarding. The most difficult thing I find when anticipating something, is developing expectations within those thoughts. Unintentional of course, but as Shakespeare once said, "Expectation is the root of all heartache." So I put any thoughts of worry out of my mind to enjoy the last day with my family.
After missing out on pretty much a whole day, we were ready to hit the pavement. Our first destination being close by, we strolled down the busy Monday morning streets until we got to the Churchill War Rooms. This was something that was a top priority on my dad's list, as he is a history buff, but I was intrigued by it as well. I wasn't sure what to expect upon knowing so little, but being down below the building we had just been walking by was somewhat eerie. Imagining the long days, weeks, and sometimes months, people spent underground working there was difficult. Underground and windowless, the people who worked for Churchill lived down in those tunnels, would go without seeing sunlight for months on end. the individuals gave remarkably dedicated narratives of their experiences. Many were as young as eighteen.
Churchill was an unusually particular man. Like, he had to take two baths a day. Kinda strange. Regardless, he was a brilliant man who inspired those around him and helped win the war for Britain alongside America. I didn't capture many pictures inside while I was trying to absorb the information and history, but anyone interested in history would be fascinated by this stroll through history. Afterward, we made our way through St. James Park, towards Buckingham Palace and the gardens surrounding. First of all, that place is gorgeous and huge. It's very much a palace. Which sounds ridiculous to say because, of course it's a palace, but seeing it in person, especially as an American, is quite astounding. There really is no comparison in the US to these massive living quarters that have been standing for centuries. The closest thing is maybe The Biltmore in Asheville, but even there, it is nowhere nearly as adorned as these homes literally built for royalty.
Arriving at a poor time, the area surrounding the palace was extremely crowded with tourists anxiously waiting to see the changing of the guards. Despite this, we got a decent view of the gardens and palace themselves! Close by were the Royal Mews, so it only took us a hop and a skip to go over and visit where the best treated horses in the world live. There were also five royal carriages on display, but only two still in use. The most recent one is insanely adorned with wheels designed by race car professionals and a lil TV inside for royal convenience. Pretty sweet. The craziest one is the carriage they only use for coronations. It's all gold. Unfortunately I didn't run into Meghan Markle or the adorable royal children but we saw a ton of their stuff. Practically the same.
Soon after our tired feet took advantage of our bus tour tickets to ride around the city and see some new stuff. Like Kensington! London is so beautiful. In some many ways that I didn't expect. There are tiny pop up parks all throughout the city, like tiny oasis's in the thick of an industrial world. And never a lack of foliage or trees, even in the most populated parks of the city. I've already concluded that its the most lovely city I've seen in my short 20 years.
A good, less hectic end to our last full day in London as a family was spent over a non-poisonous dinner, already discussing plans for returning to the UK and doing it exactly the way we'd want. I came across a verse that night that really put things in perspective regarding the ups and downs of this family vacation...from Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Even though our trip didn't go completely as planned, there's no sense in dwelling on what it could have been, or even worse, what we wish it would have been. We were given a path as a family to endure, enjoy, strengthen our bonds, and create memorable moments in time. Seeing the weaker points in our vacation allowed for the best memories to shine even brighter. Despite our frustration with each other at times, physical illness, and logistical nightmares, we overcame all together to still enjoy and acknowledge our fortune to be traveling safely and together.
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