On our first Saturday here, we had the brilliant idea to be tourists, because isn’t Saturday the best day for such outings? It is if you’ve been sleeping and house hunting for the first four days of your expatriation.  

We really wanted to take the kids to a park, so why not Hyde Park?  We consulted Yelp for a lunch suggestion- which was The Laughing Halibut, a tasty fish and chips joint.  Then we made our way to Hyde Park via Westminster and Buckingham Palace.  

The kids love riding the train.  Cameron loves planning out routes and Eli loves looking at the maps.  Miriam and Simon love watching out the windows.  I would say this has probably been their favorite part of London.  

This must be some of the most expensive real estate in London.  (Can you tell I have house hunting on my brain?)  This is Buckingham Gate in Westminster.  These buildings are so old and so well kept.  It’s just delightful walking along these roads. 

Buckingham Palace guard.  Our stop by the palace was a little impromptu so we didn’t know much about it until we came home.  They fly a flag when the Queen is living there but we didn’t know to look for it.  It has something like 661 rooms, and only 11 are open to the public for tours.  Miriam was dying to go inside.  Cameron and Eli were really interested in the guards.  The buttons and feathers are unique to each country in the UK.  

Wellington Arch- built in 1825, on top is the largest bronze statue in Europe.  

The weeping beech in Hyde Park – also called the “upside down tree.”  The kids played under it for a long time, it has great climbing branches and it was nice and cool in its shade.  

Hyde Park was bustling with people. It was a beautiful day, just really nice.  I couldn’t stop smiling from all the different kinds of people we saw.  And everyone was so pleasant and happy to be in the company of their family and friends.  Picnics, football games, amorous couples, and music.  

Speakers Corner is at the northeast entrance to the park, I imagine it was the best place to stand to catch all the passersby as they came into the park.  On Sunday afternoons people still come to share ideas and debate.   I’m sure some really exciting moments happened on that corner.  More than I can even imagine.  

London is such a busy place, with such diverse people and I often feel a little overstimulated.  But it’s growing on me so much and I continue to feel really grateful.