July 25: The British Museum and the Big Surprise

It had been awhile since I went for a run, and seeing that Buckingham Palace gardens were so close, I set out for a run in the early morning while the air was still cool. It was so glorious to go and go, just me and my music and trees and trails. No matter how I am feeling before, I always feel better after a run.

Arriving home, I showered and got dressed and let the kids sleep in for a bit before waking them up to exercise and get ready for the day. We ate breakfast at home (greek yogurt with berries and granola has been a staple all summer - Scottish raspberries are amazing!!!) and then headed to Victoria Station to take the tube to the British Museum to meet Grammy and Grandpa for the morning. Lucy and Erik, not so excited about the museum, stayed home.

Lindsay took charge and mapped our route, switching subway lines along the way. She is so ready to be out in the world on her own - I remember her managing the Paris subway with me like a champ when she was 11 years old and getting around Boston all by herself two summers ago

This mummy at the British Museum is believed to be Cleopatra!!

We met Grammy and Grandpa at the British Museum at around 11:00. I was eager to see the Sutton Hoo exhibit, having learned about it in class during our Beowulf unit. Walking around the 7th Century Anglo Saxon masks, tools, and weapons, Stone came running up to me and said "Mom, you HAVE to see this!!!" Tearing myself away from a golden mask I had seen in a slide show and was now reverently regarding in person, I took his hand and followed him around a corner to find myself face to face with... Tracy and Ali Young!!! It was so shocking to see these friends from back home. They were on a mother-daughter trip and had just arrived the night before. It was so crazy to think of the odds that we would find each other in the same huge city, in the same museum, on the same floor in the same wing at the exact same time.

The museum was full of amazing things of course, including the Rosetta Stone, but it was an absolute zoo and stiflingly hot. Very different from (or different to, as the Brits say) the calm, cool environment when we visited in December. This is definitely high tourist season, and between that and the record-breaking heat it does make things a little more tiring.

Luckily we were heading to an all-day air-conditioned event that I had been gleefully planning for nine months.  We left the museum and stopped for lunch at the kids' dream restaurant: Chipotle!!!! It was a little different but still so yummy and a lovely break from the usual. We walked another block and I covered Stone's eyes until he was standing right in front of our next event. He shrieked with joy when he saw it!!

And what a show (two shows, actually)!!! After quite a hullaballoo for Erik arriving in time and finding parking (he hates public transportation so he usually chooses to drive) and getting through the lines, keeping the 16 tickets straight and getting through a bag check, we finally found the 8 seats together that I had so doggedly pursued (it was a process involving middle-of-the-night alarms, hours on my computer, and several phone calls to London). We attended the matinee at 2:00, then took a break for an Indian dinner at Dishoom, then came back for the evening show at 7:30. We promised to #keepthesecrets so I can't write anything about it, but we were blown away and absolutely loved every minute of the five hour experience.