Look at all this!

8 miles from our home we drove over a "temporary" bridge (built over 50 years ago) with our friend, driver and tour guide Liam. The bridge felt paper thin and as though it might collapse at any moment, it all added to the excitement of going on a tour of the city of London at night. I cannot describe how surreal it was to see the sights of London this way! From the stately and impressive, the garish and modern, the ancient history, the culture, I was entranced (sorry, so entranced I didn't take any pictures!) Liam made it seem so easy to zoom around the city, as he told us about all the sights! Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey, Parliament, the bank of England, St Paul's Cathedral, St Stephens Tower (with the famous Big Ben bell) the 1,000 year old Tower of London, the London Eye, St James Palace, the financial district with its skyscrapers, Prince Albert's hall, the US Embassy (hmmm...not so impressive, but it was nice to see the stars and stripes) Harrods, and on and on and on....Over the River Thames we could see the city all lit up, it was breath taking! Liam also showed us the church John Newton had preached, the church where George Whitefield preached (and Shakespeare worshipped at) a statue of David Livingston, and much much much more.
Back to the day to day life today, my kids were watching Mary Poppins, which of course takes place in London. Bert says of the view of London, "Look at all this, and who gets to see it, but the birds, the stars and the chimney sweeps." I never imagined that I would be here and able to see these sights...my cup runneth over!
Even in the midst the bustle of the city, there are so many opportunities to be surrounded by nature! Today we were visiting with a family in Teddington, and afterwards we made our way to Bushy Park for an afternoon outing with the boys. The boys ran through green spaces with nearby grazing deer, enjoyed lunch and relaxed by a stream with ducks and swans. I truly enjoy these times with them, being free to explore and enjoy (without fear of them being run over!)