July 27: World War II Theme and on to Scotland

For our last day in London we went to the Churchill War Rooms, the underground bunkers that Winston Churchill and his team utilized to coordinate England's defense during World War II. It was fascinating - I was especially moved by the museum apart from the war rooms - I spent a long time reading handwritten letters that young Winston sent to his parents when he was at boarding school. His parents were apparently extremely cold and uninterested in Winston's life - his appeals for them to come visit him broke my heart. I also awhile contemplating the debate between Chamberlain's and Churchill's approach to Hitler. It's so easy to judge when you're looking back at the past, already knowing how things were going to turn out, but in the moment people are just feeling around in the dark. I think in the wake of the devastating "war to end all wars" I would loathe bloodshed and would have promoted diplomacy at almost any cost. Churchill was criticized for being a warmonger, and he really did seem like one at the time. I probably would have supported peace and appeasement, not knowing what was coming. And I would have been wrong.

After the War Rooms, we found a cramped, hot little hole-in-the-wall sandwich shop with an overwhelming number of specialty sandwiches and customizable fillings. It was an option overload - everyone left with different sandwiches and everyone loved what they got!! There was nowhere to sit so we walked to a park near Buckingham Palace to sit on the scorched prickly lawn and eat in the shade under a tree filled with green parrots (which we tried to capture in this photo, but they are too camouflaged).

Stone still loves climbing trees

It wasn't quite time to go to our Escape Room yet (we spent less time at the War Rooms than Trip Advisor estimated we would) :) so we found a bench at a park and chatted while we watched Stone run around. The air was thick with heat and we did our best to keep our energy up.

Erik played with Stone

Lucy hitched a ride on a friendly snail

Sophie tamed Aragog

Lindsay pouted about the heat

Then we went to a WWII themed escape room!! It was one of the most elaborate rooms we have ever done and was a perfect complement to our evening in the War Rooms. We escaped in time and got a perfect score (which the owners said was very rare)!! Stone needs to remember to not wave his arms at the last minute when taking pictures - that's Lucy behind him.  

After the escape room we went across the street to a park again - there were loads of wooden structures that Stone wanted to climb around on. We sat and chatted for awhile in the heat while clouds gathered and then suddenly... a downpour!! It was truly as if the clouds above us had burst and were emptying buckets of rain. 

We drove back downtown to SoHo, near the theater where Grammy and Grandpa had tickets for a show. Erik parked and we walked in spotty storm-sun-storm-sun off of Carnaby Road (which Grammy explained was a very big deal in the 60's). 

We found a Middle Eastern/Indian fancy wrap restaurant Courtney had recommended called "Le Bab"

I loved my paneer kebab with beet puree, coconut and pickled vegetables

Then Erik, Sophie, and Stone ran to get the car while the rest of us waited and stayed dry. We shopped around in a Doc Martin's store - funny that they were popular last time I was in a London Doc Martin's store (in 1995). Erik picked us up and we dropped Grammy and Grandpa off at their theater to see "The Play that Goes Wrong" and then continued on to the Euston Train Station to catch our overnight train to Scotland. We love Grammy and Grandpa so much and had so much fun celebrating with them!!!

Poor frazzled Erik went to return the car to the car rental station while the kids and I set up camp with our huge pile of luggage under an escalator on the floor. Sophie had been crying a lot (she and Stone have had a hard time getting along on this trip and Erik had lost his temper in the car) and it was pretty stressful, but once we figured out where to go and built a little barricade around ourselves we all got really giddy and silly and had a blast. We all remembered a similar time when I had taken them to Madrid by myself and we had to wait for a train under an escalator when they were little, so we felt really happy and nostalgic. We also played speed Scrabble and laughed our heads off (while rolling our eyes) when Lucy confessed to cheating by making up ridiculous words and saying "go" when she shouldn't have over and over with no one noticing! She was so pleased with herself and laughed until she cried.

Erik arrived at the train station having successfully ditched the car, and at last the time arrived for us to board the train.

Erik and Stone had their own little bunk bed compartment and Stone thought it was so cool he could not contain himself! The four girls had two adjoining compartments next to the boys. Lindsay and Sophie bunked together and Lucy and I bunked together, with a little door between our rooms. The shared bathroom was down the hall so we took turns brushing our teeth and then changed into jammies and prepared to be rocked to sleep by the railroad tracks! When I went into the boys' room at 9:45 to say goodnight, the lights were already out. Stone was in bed but awake; Erik was already sound asleep.