boat ride to greenwich

After a week of unpredictable spring weather, Saturday was glorious, so we headed into London and onto a bus boat for a ride down the Thames to Greenwich.

We got on the boat at Westminster, just across from the London Eye.  At this point, they didn't know about the open air seating upstairs. We waited until after they ate their lunch to go out there.  This is the first time we've taken the boat bus instead of the river cruise, and I recommend it.  It's less expensive, the line is shorter to board, and you still get chirpy commentary.

Note the blue sky - the first of many we hope.

For a future outing, we plan to take the tube to St. Paul's and walk across the bridge to the Tate Modern Art Museum.  It's free and the Tate is an interesting building, so it shouldn't be too painful for the boys.

Once Luke found the open air spot, he stayed here for the rest of the ride (an hour).  Of course he wanted to hang as far over the railing as possible. 

The Golden Hind - a replica of Sir Francis Drake's ship

The Tower on the way down the Thames.  On the way back - about two hours later - the water level was at least six feet lower.

The Tower Bridge.  Friends of ours went to a wedding meal in the bridge.

The Greenwich Meridian.  Neither of them were interested in what we tried to tell them about time and the significance of the place, but I think Tim, at least, will remember being here when he learns about it in school.

The London skyline from the observatory in Greenwich.

spring

We've had two glorious weekends in a row now.  For the first, we went into London on Saturday and attended a BBQ at the home of friends in Aldershot on Sunday.

Luke and Tim, Big Ben, sunshine and flower.

Nelson Mandela on Parliament Square.

Abraham Lincoln on Parliament Square.

St. Paul's in the distance.  That's on our list of places to visit in the near future.

On the bridge at St. James park with the London Eye in the distance.

Daffodils in St. James park.  Waiting for dad to bring ice cream!

The home of Kate and Paul Higgins.  Kate and I started work at ACS together this year .  Her son Daniel is in Tim's class.  Her husband Paul teaches math at the middle school.

We went to the pitch and putt course at school on the second weekend.