The Day of the Packages

This morning my Dad, Michael and I went out to mail boxes home. What we found out was that it is really expensive to do that. But we had to, so we did. Then we went to see Chislehurst Caves and had a tour down into the deep caves. It wasn’t cold at all, but the echoes were impressive. The layout is a grid, almost like New York City (giggle giggle), but it’s much easier to get lost in. When we got back to Grandma Rachel’s it was almost time for everyone to arrive for Passover dinner.

Dinner was great and there was lots of good food to eat. Michael and I helped Grandma Rachel make some chocolate chip meringue cookies that were particularly tasty. The time seemed to fly by and before we knew it, it was time to say our goodbyes and go to bed.

Bugsly

It was raining today. We got up early and made the journey to Waltham Abbey where my Grandpa Phin is buried. It was raining hard when we were there, and there were a couple of funerals going on at the time. We spent some time there before we phone for a taxi to take us back to the train station. On our way back, we stopped for tea in Greenwich. I had a jacket potato with beans and cheese on top. It was delicious. Then Mom, Michael and I headed back to Bromley while Dad went to London to pick up his new British Passport. Later that evening we went out to dinner and had Indian food. It was great!

Bugsly

We saw so much today. With Grandma Rachel went on the train to London, met up with Grandpa and Ann and headed to Kew Gardens. Kew Gardens is more than 300 acres of land all planted with beautiful flower and trees. There was even a carpet of English Bluebells where you could walk through on a little path. Their beautiful violet-blue-purpley color was pretty against the green grass. We had lunch there and then I rode in a flowered London taxi with my Mom to Hampton Court.

At Hampton Court, the first thing we did was try out the maze. Michael got lost a couple of times, but I made it through the first time following my Dad. The hedges were dense and they had put little speakers in the hedge with lines from Alice in Wonderland about the maze in the story. The most beautiful thing about the flowers at Hampton Court were all of the daffodils. They were everywhere, almost an endless carpet of all different colors. It was amazing.

We then visited the buildings and Dad and I first checked out Queen’s Apartments. They were small but beautifully furnished. Then we saw the King’s Apartments. They were much bigger. He even had two bedrooms and a velvet seat on the toilet in his bathroom. The king had a guards chamber with guns and weapons beautifully displayed in patterns on the wall. There were more than 2,800 different weapons. After that we went through the Tudor Kitchen area where they were preparing food in the way that they would have in Tudor times. I had some bread which was plain but good. Then we said goodbye to Grandpa and Ann and headed back to Bromley!

Bugsly

This morning Dad, Michael and I drove to London to pick up Grandpa and Ann. We met them at the Tower Bridge. We drove back to Greenwich, where we went to the indoor market and then visited Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Then we went back to Grandma Rachel’s for a family dinner with Auntie Shelley and David, Grandma Rachel, Grandpa and Ann and my whole family. Grandma Rachel cooked up a feast which everyone enjoyed very, very much. It was a great evening!

Bugsly

Today we headed out to meet Grandpa, Ann and Ed and Benjamin from Egypt. This time we got to meet Emelia, Benjamin’s little sister. We met up with them at the front steps of the British Museum and eventually found Grandpa and Ann. Ed, Benjamin, Emelia, Benjamin and I all toured the Egyptian section together. It wasn’t quite as good as the real thing like we saw in Egypt, but it was interesting nonetheless. It was good to be with them. After the Museum, we got lunch together at the Ultimate Burger, walked across the Jubilee Bridge and to the London Eye. We said our goodbyes for now to Ed, Benjamin and Emelia. After a couple more stops, we said goodbye to Grandpa and Ann and headed back to Bromley.

Bugsly

Today we went to the Science Museum and saw some really cool exhibits. We then went to pick up Grandpa and Ann from the train station. It’s the same station where Harry Potter gets the train to Hogwarts at Platform 9 ¾. It was great to see them and their train was exactly on time. We helped them find and settle into their hotel and then went to dinner at a pub for fish and chips. Eventually we took the train back to Bromley.

Bugsly

This morning we got up REALLY early to go to the airport to meet Lynn, Olivia and Sheryl. We got there at 7:15 am and unfortunately we missed them. After some breakfast, we drove to Chelsea Football Club’s Stadium where we had tickets for a tour. We met Grandma Rachel’s friend Liane and her grandchildren Eloise and Zooey. We had lots of fun and even saw the new 150,000 pounds-worth of new grass that they replace 6 times each season. One really not-smart kid stood on it and got yelled at by the tour guide. People were picking little bits off to take home as a souvenier! We had lunch together at a little diner and had great fish and chips and jacket potatoes. Then we headed home.

Bugsly

Today after going to school, my Dad, Michael and I went up to London on the slow train to have lunch with our friend Sharon. We met her at Harrods at Door 9, walked through the food hall and had lunch. It was good to see her and we had a nice time catching up. After saying goodbye, we took a bus to Hyde Park Corner and we walked and did some errands before we went back to Bromley.

Bugsly

The last two days we did errands in Bromley and London. I also got started with a tutor for Algebra. She is the head of the Mathematics Department at my Dad’s former secondary school. It’s called Ravens Wood. So far the lessons have been great, I am learning a lot and really going to help. Sorry for the short entry, but we’re doing normal stuff for a day or two!

Bugsly

This morning I woke up to my bed shaking because Kostas had plugged in a foot massager and put it on my bed to wake me up! Well it worked, but what a way to wake up! Anyhow, I had wonderful cereal for breakfast drizzled with honey from Greek forests. You should see how much honey Kostas has in his cupboard! Enough for at least two armies!

We headed off in the car to see the sights of Athens. Our first stop was the Acropolis. Getting to see something as amazing at that after studying it the year before was quite an experience. Seeing all of the columns and ancient artifacts and carvings was spectacular. The Parthenon was beautifully sculpted and polished. It is under renovation for at least another couple of years. They plan to restore it to the point it was before it was attacked many years ago.

A thrill for my Dad was that I worked on a page of my Algebra schoolwork in the shadow of the Parthenon. He was ecstatic.

We visited the Archeological Museum next to the Parthenon and got to see ancient Greek artifacts beautifully presented.

We headed off to have lunch near Kostas’ office in a terrific underground restaurant. To watch people eat an entire fish, brains and all in one bite, made me feel nauseous. Kostas offered to get me ice cream if I ate one. I said as long as there was no head and tail I would do it. He agreed and I completed the gruesome task. I will never eat a grilled fish again.

Later that evening, we went out to a traditional Greek meal with Kostas’ mother where I had chicken souvlaki and some stuffed cabbage. Then Kostas took Michael and me out to an ice cream shop where the ice cream was mounded up in mountains. I had Nutella ice cream and it was unforgettably melt-in-my-mouth delicious!

After a long and full day, we slept like logs.

Bugsly