The full days and lack of bedtime started to catch up with Millie today and she woke up seeming tired. But we had big plans with family friends Alice and Joe and their kids… a real English tea party! The promise of little cakes and new friends kept her energy up on the walk to the train.

Nick took this opportunity to branch out and have his own adventure (more on that below) so it was just the two of us. After the long train ride with long walks on either side we made it to Alice’s house. Alice’s parents and my parents have been friends since before we were born so it was fun to reminisce on random childhood memories and to get the new generation together. We had proper tea sandwiches (cucumber, tuna, and egg), scones with clotted cream and jam, sausage rolls, tea, and cupcakes for the kids. Millie was in heaven and became fast friends with Stella.

After the tea party and some tv time so the adults could talk, we walked to the park to run off the sugar. We ended up at a pub, as I have most days this week, and had a pint while the kids downed their own pints (juice) and played while narrowly escaping falling to their deaths.

We bid them farewell with a quick selfie as we rushed onto the bus, where we got the highly coveted top front seat.

Millie passed out on the train but came back to life while walking through a park with a playground. I don’t think any city has more playgrounds than London. Every park has one, and there is seemingly a park on every other block.

Unfortunately on our walk home she fell and scraped up her knee and cut her hand. I tried buying her an ice cream for “being tough” but she still cried the whole way home, and then for 30 minutes until Nick got back.

“Where was he?” you may be wondering. After picking up the rental car, he visited Greenwich, did a 3 hour tour at the maritime museum to learn about the history of timekeeping, straddled the east and west hemispheres, and then ate jellied eels for dinner. We all have different ideas of a good time. For some it’s tea parties with friends, for others it’s audio tours and eels boiled until they turn into jelly.