London, Part 2

On Sunday, Ryan and I went to the Hyde Park Ward for church, then walked through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. These parks are absolutely beautiful, and huge - like Central Park in NYC. I couldn't believe how green everything was, too… I was expecting snow on the ground and everything to be dead like it is here, but they were definitely into Spring already.

 I want my backyard to look like this...

 We ate lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant, then took the tube out to Wimbledon for a quick stop (and crepe) and then on to Ealing - our old home - for a look around and dinner at our favorite Lebanese restaurant. This is our old apartment complex...

I had Monday and Tuesday all to myself while Ryan was working (the reason we were in London in the first place). I slept in, which was heaven on it's own, but then headed out to Regents Park and Queen Mary's Garden...

 I love these weeping willow-looking trees. They remind me of rain or a waterfall.

 I then took the tube to Piccadilly Circus and found this guy outside a touristy gift store dancing to some pretty groovy music. I went inside and bought the kids some fun stuff.

 Nearly every double decker bus cruising around London had this on it. Great advertising for the church. Too bad the show is complete blasphemy! 

 After some fun times in Piccadilly Circus, I walked over to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square where I spent three wonderful hours enjoying artwork from Leonardo, Bellini, Bottecelli, Michelangelo, Rahael, Claude, Rembrandt, and Van Gogh. I can tell you museums are way more enjoyable without kids! 

 Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square...

 Trafalgar Square on a rainy day. Don't the buildings in the background look completely fake?

 I finally made it out of the National Gallery, ate at the most delicious Thai restaurant - by myself!! - and then took a walk down to Westminster. It was dark by then so everything was lit up. Here is the London Eye we rode on Saturday...

 And here is terrible picture of Big Ben… I wish I knew how to use my camera better because none of my night pictures turned out, including those of Westminster Abbey.