… was wet!!!!
We like to take the boys to London often for day trips and short breaks, making use of Travelodge special offers. When we’re up there though we try not to do more than one or two ‘touristy’ things otherwise everyone gets tired and grumpy and we find that everyone loses interest in the museum so there is no point. Do one thing well and absorb the most from it is our approach to tourism. Also if you spend all your time in Museums and touristy bits you miss the buzz of London streets, both Pete and I were in our late teens the first time we went and feel we missed out. We like to give the boys a flavour of the different areas of London; the markets, back streets (Pete can do a surprisingly good tour of the Jack the Ripper area — he lived that way and used to entertain visiting economists with it back when he worked for the Corporation of London), local cafes and parks (one of the reasons for going to Greenwich was to spend some time relaxing in the park — gave up on that!).
Anyway we got in to London about 11am and nipped to a cafe behind Waterloo for an all day breakfast. We then walked down to the river, before catching the river boat to Greenwich.
What slightly complicates things for us in London is that I have a phobia of escalators 
I was fine until about 9yo and then I had a nightmare about being eaten by one. Obviously as an adult I conquered it to a large extent, particularly as I lived in London for a while. But then when Jack was about 3 he fell down a really long one at Euston right from top to bottom. I still feel sick at the memory! Now I can manage them on my own, and if it is quiet and we can take our time getting on I’ll take one with the boys. But trying to get on in London with hoards of people pushing and shoving, well the idea brings me out in a sweat.
The result is we always travel above ground (and ideally on foot) when we can. This way allows you to see more anyway. The river boat certainly gave the boys a new view of London. Although they were disappointed to see Traitor’s Gate bricked up.
When we arrived at Greenwich it was chucking it down so after a quick stop to model the hats Pete had bought him and the boys to keep off the rain
We ran into the nearest building, which happened to be the old Naval College and house a small museum.
The boys tried on gauntlets, naval hats, tried to pick up a lance and found a model cabin for a quick lie down.
While Pete posed for a portrait before investigating ever more elaborate ways to keep off the rain.
After a coffee and a potter around Greenwich market, we went back to the hotel with tea. Jack practised the magic trick he’d bought from the market and we played marbles (restocked at the lovely little toy shop in the market) and Astronauts.
Saturday, we dashed through the showers to the Royal Observatory, stopping to admire the views.
The building work at the front is for the equestrianism at the Olympics.
We went to the planetarium and around the astronomy galleries where the darkness made for rubbish photos. Then we had a tightrobe walk along a small section of the prime meridian before heading home.
