by Kate Barba

After many weeks in the eastern Mediterranean region, we said “until next time” and re-entered Europe for the Christmas season.  We started things off with a weekend in London for Gwyn’s gift: tickets to Frozen!  We visited the city briefly in June 2017 as part of a road trip through England and Scotland, so we took the opportunity to re-visit some favorite spots.  Still no time for the Beefeater’s Tour of the Tower for me, but I’m sure we will be back!

With travel constraints we really only had one day, so we started with a “full English” at the hotel and set off for the Peter Pan themed Princess Diana Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens.  This magical place was a favorite when the kids were six but they’re a bit big for it now!  It was still nice to recreate some photos and wander down memory lane a bit.  Highly recommended for Lost Children under ten-ish.

Our matinee was calling, so we started our long walk across London only to discover that it was Remembrance Day and major paths and streets were blocked!  On the positive side, we did get to see the King and other dignitaries at a ceremony and then again on their way back to Buckingham Palace.  After that WW1 history reminder and moment of respect we continued our slightly frenzied rush down the waterfront with a takeaway sandwich.  No worries, we made it to the West End with time to appreciate the gorgeous historic theater.

Disney’s Frozen the Musical was incredible!  The effects, sets, and costumes were enchanting and the cast was phenomenal.  We love that all the movie songs are included plus some new gems.  Intense “Monster” and the hilarious “Hygge” stood out so give them a listen if you’re a Disney fan.  Better yet, seek out a live production near you!  Our hometown has a Disney Junior version coming to Imagination Theater! soon.

After the show we wandered through Covent Garden for our first taste of the holidays.  (I’ve always wanted to see the spot where Eliza Doolittle met Henry Higgins.)  We also wandered across the Thames to the South Bank.  The kids found the famous lion statue who featured in one of the Land of Stories books by Christopher Colfer (a favorite YA fantasy series for all ages).  We decided against a ride on the expensive London Eye but had to work to resist the yummy scents coming from the street food booths.  We had one more nostalgic plan.

To finish our day we reserved an old favorite bakery near Trafalgar Square for afternoon tea.  It was delicious and though we shared two portions we were plenty stuffed for the night.  Maybe it was the four pots of tea and two adult beverages on top of the sandwiches, savory bites, and rich pastries?  We highly recommend Brigit’s and plan to try their tea bus tour next time.  Don’t forget to reserve a table at this lovely but cozy spot, it was packed!

Thanks for reading to the end.  Next up: Portugal!  Don’t forget to check out our past stories and subscribe for future articles as well.  Find us on Facebook and Instagram for bonus content!  As always, if you are planning a trip to any location we visit we are happy to provide more details and opinions, so feel free to contact us.