July 26: Fancy Royal Day

On Thursday morning we dressed up a bit (as much as we could given the forecast of 98 degrees) and went with Britt to see the changing of the guard.

Every year when school starts again I cry - during the summer the kids are able to de-stress and sleep more and hang out together. They find themselves individually and they find each other, and without the distractions of their busy academic, extracurricular and social lives, they become best friends again.

This is a beautiful bridge with lovely views of the palace, but we remember it most as the bridge where we fed the ducks. Lindsay especially loves little birds of all kinds but will get especially teary if she sees ducklings. :)

Britt knew exactly where to have us stand to see the different groups of soldiers preparing for their duties, marching in this direction or that, playing their instruments, etc. She knew this city and its schedule so precisely and saved us loads of walking and waiting in crowds. 

Buckingham Palace and the Queen Victoria statue

Waiting to see the two groups of soldiers converge

On the left, the soldiers on horses; on the right, the band playing instruments. Britt was full of interesting information, like which countries wore which emblem and had which patterns of buttons on their coats, and why they did all the things they did. My biggest takeaway was that I'm glad I didn't choose a profession where I have to wear a bear skin hat.

It was a long long morning of standing, and by the time we got to Westminster Abbey our feet were hurting fiercely. The poor kids were pretty miserable as we walked around the building learning about this and that dead king and queen, but I absolutely love that building and never get tired of seeing the throne and poet's corner. AND we saw a new addition since we were there last - sadly Stephen Hawking passed away this past Spring, but his ashes are interred and honored next to Isaac Newton's and Charles Darwin's graves in Scientists' corner. I was so touched at that gesture of Religion embracing and honoring Science, and also moved that Hawking allowed his remains to be house in the church. We are all just trying to figure stuff out - I am a firm believer in honoring different quests for understanding, maintaining compassion and respect and the humility to admit that no one really knows and we're all in this together.

After Westminster Abbey we hobbled across the street and ate a limp cafeteria lunch in a stuffy basement of a weird building. It wasn't a highlight of the trip but it was cooler than outside, and once we put our feet up we couldn't move for a good hour or so. After eating a sandwich Grammy and Grandpa found some comfy-ish chairs and fell asleep; Stone played on my phone (he still eats at a separate table with my phone and headphones, so I just let him keep playing games), and the girls and I discussed J.K. Rowling and whether she has an obligation to use her platform to advance certain causes. It was a very intelligent discussion and I think we all came away with a greater understanding of the issues. I did! I am always learning from my kids.

Rousing ourselves from our rest, we rallied again for the afternoon activity: a tour of the inside of Buckingham Palace! Every summer the queen goes to Scotland on holiday and allows the state rooms to be toured by the public. We got audio guides and went on a slow walk through the grand, ornate, mostly Victorian state rooms where the royals entertain foreign dignitaries, take their wedding and christening photos, exhibit their art, and hold giant dinners and balls. The rooms really were quite something to behold, and several times I thought how Mount Vernon in Virginia really seemed in comparison like a little child with a cheap costume trying to dress up like a princess. America was so new and rustic and small-scale next to the opulence and grandeur of Europe. And while I appreciated the beauty and I love William and Kate and Harry and Meghan as much as the next person, I am really a fan of democracy. It just feels so ridiculous for one family to be so lavished in wealth based solely on their blood-lines. It's all arbitrary and made up and it's stupid. But pretty to look at!

And next... and I will add photos later... we walked across the street to the Rubens Hotel, which used to be the stables for Buckingham Palace. It was beautifully decorated and AIR CONDITIONED, and we walked into the ice cold palace-like room and sank into giant cushy arm chairs feeling like absolute royalty. What a luxury to have cold air!! We had made reservations for a proper English tea, not knowing that that was a bucket-list item for the birthday girl!! I was so thrilled. We had delicate sandwiches of cucumber and cream cheese, egg salad, and coronation chicken, and herbal tea with our own pot, and warm scones fresh from the oven with jam and clotted cream, and pastries galore: chocolate ganache cake and lemon tarts and rose-flavored macarons and peach custard covered in white chocolate and tiny cheesecakes and shortbread cookies with jam. All the treats had connections to the royal family - each was someone's favorite. And we sat and ate and laughed at the live musician playing Ed Sheeran, and most importantly, asked Grammy questions about her growing up years. We learned so many stories and got to know Grammy so much better! And hopefully she felt special and pampered and loved.

After our very satisfying tea and our very exhausting day, we went home, showered, got into our pj's, and turned on a movie. vowing never to move again.