York and London

On Monday, we returned our key to the landlord in Terrington and drove into York, where we returned our car. Our landlord has been great, even giving us a bottle of wine for the inconvenience of a water leak in the kitchen. We are down to one travel bag each, plus a few items left over from the term at school, which we will leave with Tony and Jackie. We are now in almost in 'backpacker' mode - but with the luxury of a few flights as well as train rides ahead - and bags with wheels.

After dropping off the car, we had lunch at the bike cafe near Micklegate and visited Granny's old school on Blossom Lane (Bar Convent). We did the York boat ride for a relax after the morning's packing, then went for a good walk around - up past Betty's, around to York Minster and to the Shambles, We went into the Minster but the tower was closed. Sophie and Will then had a swim at our hotel and voted for KFC for dinner. I walked all the way back to KFC on Blossom Lane to pick up dinner. We then went on the Original Ghost Tour to finish a very busy day. After living so close to York for so long, we were surprised at how many things we still wanted to cram into our last day there.

On Tuesday, we walked around the southern walls from Fishergate to the station, catching a pre-booked train to London. After dropping bags, we walked into Oxford Street, spending most of the afternoon there. The Science Museum filled in almost all of Tuesday, given that we had a late start and walked via Kensington Gardens and past the Peter Pan statue. Sophie's favourite part of the museum was the 3D flying movie. Will loved the 3D space movies, Apollo items and the interactive technology displays. On Wednesday we walked down Tottenham Court Road to Trafalgar Square, Downing Street and on to the houses of Parliament, before getting the tube back to our hotel to collect bags and travel out to stay with Jackie and Tony in Cambridgeshire. Will reminded me that we didn't actually see Big Ben. Big Ben is the bell that is inside Elizabeth Tower, which has the clock on the outside. Tony and Jackie took us to a carvery for dinner and after several busy days in a row, I don't think I have ever seen the kids eat so much in one sitting!

John's Mum's school

Cruise on the River Ouse

Bird of prey display in the York Gardens

York Minster choir stalls

Ghost tour

Around the York walls to the station

Central London

Sophie feeding a squirrel in Kensington Palace Gardens

In the science museum

History of flight display in the science museum

Will and a parakeet in Kensington Palace Gardens

Parakeets

Will and his parakeet friend

Harry Potter advertising 

Trafalgar Square

Will at a fountain in Trafalgar Square

Sophie in Trafalgar Square

Number 10 Downing- busy the day after the change in Prime Minister

Houses of Parliament

Houses of Parliament from the south bank of the Thames

Harry Potter's Platform 9 3/4 in St Pancras Station