Sunday at Hampton Court Palace

After yesterday, we regrouped and decided to spend time at Hampton Court Palace. No rhyme or reason, it's just been recommended so much by all of you friends and family we had to go; and it was worth it.

We took the train to Clapham Junction and entered a warren of tunnels like hamster tubes. I am always amazed that in a 4' closet sized space someone is selling papers, candy and.. potholders. Up to the proper platform, then rerouted to another. The Hampton Court train was delayed but not by much. It arrived jam packed with tourists. Sat next to a woman from Pennsylvania, they were visiting three countries in two weeks. It was their last day in London. Said 'bye at the station and followed the crowds to the palace. Hers and ours are very different trips.

Red bricks and amazing iron and stone works all around. The palace is on the banks of the Thames and we hit it at a perfect day. Sun and mild temperatures. Dennis went to get tickets while the girls raced up and down the lawns. They acquired a couple of tiny French children who raced along side. You could tell the natives as they were half nekkid soaking up the rare bits of sunshine.

Sadly, I don't know enough about Henry the VIII but I do know not many (okay, one) of his wives survived (don't worry, I've bought books). We toured the kitchens, complete with a creepy pot of stew that was like a scratch and sniff -almost stew like, but with a touch of plastic smell.





The girls in front of the Tudor kitchen fires and plastic hunks of meat on spits.

We passed through Henry VIII as a child exhibit, the Georgian rooms, Mary II's rooms





Here are the girls are pitching me ideas on how to redecorate their bedrooms.

We slid into the cafe for some lunch







It's beef pie, sloshed with gravy. It was, okay. I'm starting to think gravy is on my list of "things the world could do with out"
1 gravy
2 Bo Derrick braids
3 Fox News

.. I could go on, but I'll spare you.

Then we walked the garden. First up the maze. I sent Dennis in with the two cherubs, they made it out before I could even read a chapter of my book.

Then off to the yards.. 300 year old trees, beautiful garden beds bursting with blooms.

















And a couple of fountains.

The girls saw a sign for 'carriage rides'. Now you hear that and think 'cinderella' or at least a NY type open carriage. Nope. Two amazing Clydesdale like horses pulling what looked like modified golf cart type vehicles.






The $16 ride took us about 15 minutes around the edge of the garden. Truly felt like a tourist.

By hour three attention was waning and we were ready to call it a day. The we ran into





Anne. P has declared this is who she wants to be for Halloween. Thank goodness I have a couple months. The hat alone would take me a month. Maybe I'll push for another year of 'rainbow puppy'.

We escaped and had ice cream. O and Dennis wanted to take a Thames cruise to Richmond while P was adamant she "just wanted to go home". We split up. P and I exploring the bus routes and got home in an hour. Dennis and O went on a leisurely two hour cruise up to Richmond. O navigated from there orientating from the Ben & Jerry's shop. If there was orienteering in an urban setting, I'd enter both my kids.

Oh and fresh from the P: "Mom, I'm pretty sure that thing on the front of his armor was for his penis". She was totally right, so I just nodded in agreement.

Home no worse for wear, I'm spending tomorrow going through ticket stubs and accumulated papers. Our table is full of bits of tickets, receipts and tags from all over. I'm hoping we can get them into the girls scrap books and pitch the rest.

But for now, it's the last chapter of "Indian in the Cupboard".

xo Sarah

PS: Remembered Deb's stealth photo taking advice.. Paused, looked like I was checking messages, sound off.. Click.





At the bus stop. Moccasins, horizontal ill fitting striped knit skirt (with roses) Fur purse. Her hair was cherry red with many Bobbi pins and a red bandanna. I'm sure her style came straight from the pages of French Vogue.