Wednesday

This morning tube line we took Northern to Kings Cross to Picadilly to Covent Gardens. The forecast is ten degrees lower than yesterday. I forced Jake to wear his beanie and new running shoes. Mom forced him to wear his new jacket.  Jake was practically in tears. Of course, then he's mean to Luke. So Luke teases him, Jake strikes back madly, and Luke retaliates. I intervene. Luke is close to tears. Jake confided to me during lunch that he doesn't like wearing a beanie because it messes up his hair. Funny. He wears his baseball cap all the time. When he gets out of the shower he puts his baseball cap over his wet hair to form it. He also deoesn't like his new jacket because he said it was too big. I'm guessing since Luke's is big on him and Luke wears a beanie Jake doesn't like the style - just a guess.

Jake was sullen and quiet on the train. It's a recurring theme this trip. He opens up when we get back to the house. Is it a 13 year old thing? Perhaps, I need to set a better example.

Again, walking throught London - beautiful architecture tightly woven buildings with narrow meandering streets, and lots of pedestrians - to Covent Gardens.  It's bright out now and very warm but large rain clouds are everywhere. Two hundred ten Easter eggs had been spread around downtown London. Each egg about thirty inches tall and uniquely painted, sculpted, and interpreted by artists, schools, groups, people, et al. All the eggs were collected and then dispersed around Covent Gardens.

We ate at a pub. We entered off a street corner and walked up narrow winding staris to a small landing that led into a small dining area. We ordered beef pies, fish and chips, and burgers. Our server brought me a taste of English beer, Doombar. It was not like anything I tasted. It was a delicious ale. He brought me another taste when I finished. After lunch we took in street performers, shopped and admired more eggs.

From Convent Gardens we took the tube to Baker St. destined for the Sherlock Homes museum 221B Baker St.

The house is three and a half old creaky wood floors with small Victorian rooms and fireplaces and old trinketts related to stories of Conan Doyle. The last floor had wax figures in the rooms and the final half floor were steps to an attic set.

Descending the steps to leave required squeezing by people coming up. Of course we had to visit the shop. Next door was The Beatles Store and across the street was another rock and roll store. We visited both.

It started raining. Homeward bound. I promised Sam we would visit another park. This time near home.

Grandma, Pop, Cari, and Jake went to the market outside Archway. Sari, Sam, Luke, and I headed up towards home and then to find Waterlow Park.

The clearners were still at the house. We dropped off our stuff and headed up the hill. It's a nice neighborhood. We got to the top of the hill passed two old, ornate, and beautiful churches, crossed a bridge and finally found what looked like the entrance to a park. Up some steps and between hedges and shrubs we came on a clearing that opended to reveal a huge expanse of green park, broken up by separate plateaus, hills, flower gardens, and a lake with a stream falling under a bridge to a lower lake. Also, finally, a play area wooden platforms on springs, a large rope ladder, a rolling wooden pole raised off the ground on each end, and single rope swing. Also, we found a huge hollow tree about five feet in diameter.

Then we found a graveyard. Hightgate cemetary. A scene out of the Haunted mansion. It was overrun with crowded cement crosses and headstones and meandering trails and moss on cement. Cari later told us that she made a special visit to this cemetary because there are famous literary people buried there, including Karl Marx.

Intermittently itrained while we were walking to the park and at the park. We brought an umbrella for tunately. We found another p;lay area that had a small merry go round, slide, and swings. We spoke to a mother with a young girl, probably around one and a half years old. She was excited to play with Sam and couldn't keep her hands off Luke - he was playing hisnew Sherlock Holms music box for her. Her mom recommended annother park close by callled Highgate Woods and another Hampstead Heath. We came home and had leftover spaghetti, salad and garlic bread. Again, it poured on the kitchen window while dinner cooked.