Even though its a month since we had our annual pilgrimage back to the uk I thought I’d post up some photos. We only managed one day in London this trip back (booooooooooo) but we certainly made it a memorable one and I wanted to share our photos here for prosperity, and also to inspire people to do more free stuff in London because it rocks!!! It was so weird being back home post Brexit, as we travelled down the country we saw lots of ‘England OUT’ posters and even in the area we are from just outside London there were plenty of out supporters and posters. London is such a mixing pot of people from all cultures and walks of life, and for that I love it, I really hope that Brexit does not affect people coming in and out and being able to live and contribute to this vibrant city.
Its weird because my kids live in such a small and sheltered area, I kind of forget that they don’t experience cities and different cultures that much. They were awestruck and very very curious about every one and everything. Our little explore of some of the UK made me even more keen to travel further afield and into Europe next summer. Luis especially was loving being in the city and just couldn’t get enough of it! As you can see from above the girls were a little unsure so stuck together the whole trip.
Our day started at the Science Museum which was a bit of a bust. Maybe its because Im a classics and arts kinda gal but this museum has never been one to float my boat. We moved on pretty sharpish to Hyde Park and the Princess Diana memorial, which is a giant circular stream made of concrete in a big field. Obviously my crew got naked pretty much straight away. Lots of parents were not down with the full ‘lets paddle in our pants’ so we did elicit some shade throwing. However, there were lots of cool mums like me who were like ‘do whatever the hell you want to do just don’t run off, talk to weirdos or drink the fountain water’ so it wasnt all bad. We were also with our pals and got to chat with them a lot which is always a joy plus have a bit of a picnic in the sunshine.
After hyde park we hopped on the tube where Cora greeted everyone getting on and off with a full on ‘howarya’ and Vivi asked everyone ‘Where are you going?’. Its so funny as its normal to Mr Clev and I but the kids were wide eyed and a little bit freaked out by the underground. We headed to Monument and the ‘Sky Garden’ atop the Walkie Talkie building (20 fenchurch street to give it its proper name). If you are ever in Londres the sky garden is a must. Its massive, the views are amazing, and there are plants, also its not rammed with tourists (throwing shade at you London Eye + Shard viewing platform with your money grabbing tourist antics), which means its pretty chill and amazing for people watching!. Lots of people just enjoying the building who I am sure were delighted when me and the crew turned up.
We booked dinner in the Darwin Brassiere so we could jump the queues (best idea ever, I highly recommend the queues were long). I have to say the food was amazing but the view wasnt that great – the best view is from the free to enter bar on the main floor (obvs couldn’t fully enjoy this because of the mini army I had with me but if I go back childfree one day theres plenty of prosecco there with my name on it!) so dont whatever you do book a table at the reaaaaaaly fancy restaurant at the top because you can see literally nothing but the steel building supports. However, having a booking means you get access to the rest of the gardens anyway, including the bar and the outside viewing platform so its not the end of the world having a bit of a pants view as you dine. This is us outside the Darwin, you can see my point about the views…
Our dinner was delish and it being a Sunday we weren’t the only family in there (we were the largest group in there though) the waiters fully understood the stress of reasonably posh dining with children so kept the gin cocktails and prosecco flowing for our entire meal as well as colouring and a mini tour for the older kids. Always appreciated! I would give the dining experience a 10 out of 10, really good food, amazing cocktails and staff who really cant do enough for you. If you are in London and have a special family event then I would highly recommend a visit here.
Afterwards there was time for a walk around and watching the sun begin to set over London. The views are stunning from all aspects and we saw tons including the Olympic Park to the east and Epsom Downs to the south, as well as the tower of London, the Shard, London eye and houses of Parliament. Im gunning for a ZEAL office here in a few years time with a smart little mews in Chelsea for us to stay in 🙂 on business trips #goals.
I sometimes have people comment that we are mad to take 5 children to places like this, or that we are putting extra stress on ourselves and that travel and experiencing new stuff with them must be very hard. Honestly I believe that parenting is only as hard as you make it, if you are stressed kids pick up on it. We were just happy to be able to share the view with our little guys and they picked up on our joy at seeing them enjoy themselves. Happy parents = happy children, which makes for a much easier time for all.
The above is my favourite of all the photos we took at the Sky Garden. I love it! Cora was just having a ball darting about and there’s so much space up there. I cant believe its a month since we were ‘home’, Im already so looking forward to being back in London next year, and hopefully for longer this time. We will be going back to dinner at the sky garden for sure, although if I can wrangle it we will be child free – theres more Gin and Pomegranate cocktails I need to drink!!!
If you would like any London tips, or ideas of places in the UK to visit message me through my Facebook page or e-mail me 🙂
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