London - Day 2

London - Day 2, Royal pageantry was on full display today!  We ensconced ourselves outside Buckingham Palace at 9am to view the rehearsal of the Queen's Birthday parade to be held Saturday week. It was all very regal and beautifully formal, and according to the children "super cool".   The pomp and ceremony were things that we have only read of in books or seen on TV, so to actually experience the real thing was very special.  The dress code and military precision of Queen's Guards, mounted cavalry, and infantry soldiers was very impressive, and the horses were amazing, such beautiful and majestic animals, decked out in the most brilliant colours and gear.  There were several marching bands and bagpipes as well as a mounted band that paraded down the Mall.

After this spectacle we made our way to the Natural History Museum via the Underground. This Museum was 5 out of 5 for us, especially when we became aware that the history of some of the collection went as far back as 1753 and the building it was set up in from 1881. The "popular exhibits" such as the 'Dinosaurs' and 'Creepy Crawlies' were packed with people but other exhibition areas were less busy and for us more interesting. The 'Human Body and Mind' exhibitions were great as these had a lot of interactive displays that the children could be involved and engaged with.

Finally we ticked off a major item on Annelise's bucket list - Paddington Station!  Yes, we found the 'exact spot' where Paddington Bear was 'found' and what's more there was even a statute and a bench seat to commemorate this most important event.  It was a fantastic way to end the day!

Marching and military precision at its best, the music sounded amazing, this was just one of 5 Regiments that marched past.






















The horses were beautifully groomed and dressed and very talented riders with impeccable control of their mounts. Very majestic.












Last but not least the carriages in which the Royals will be carted around next week.  The children were expecting a bit more gold on the carriage, even so they looked spectacular. The practice did not include the fly over/red arrows or cannon salute, just everything else.

The Natural History museum, filled with grand displays and amazing exhibitions. Even though we skipped the 'human evolution section'  there was so much to see and absorb in a period of 4 hours, and the children did remarkably well.  We reached saturation levels by the end of the afternoon. We were in awe of the absolute beauty and variety of creatures God has created, each with there own special adaptations and colours to live where they are.

Aaaahhhh Paddington Station