The Magic Of England (Part 1): London

Imagine a city steeped in thousands of years in history, of legendary monuments that everyone reads about in books, royalty and palaces, West End musicals and the magic of Harry Potter and Peter Pan. That is London for you.

Imagine rolling meadows of gold, quaint thatched-roof cottages and sleepy villages right out of a fairy tale. That is the Cotswolds and the quintessential English countryside for you.

Imagine the uncertainties of world wars, of the last frontier in England, of centuries-old majestic cathedrals, Geoffrey Chaucer's old English, and the oldest university in the English-speaking world. That is Kent and Oxford for you.

In June, we went on a whirlwind trip of the above places in under 9 days. It was a little challenging with jet lag settling in both ways, but children are adaptable at this age, so we managed to enjoy ourselves nevertheless!

Having been to London countless times on my own for work and with Hubby, this was the first time that we brought the kids with us. They are both huge Harry Potter fans (both the books and the movies), and we are excited to see how they view London from the eyes of Harry Potter. While I am a little jaded of London and its crowds, the girls loved London and all its buzz.

Summer in London was particularly pleasant, with long sunshine hours (from 4.30am to 10pm!) and lovely, cool weather. These were perfect conditions for long, languid strolls along antiquated landmarks that we had read and seen manifold times on the mass media - the Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Westminster, London Eye, Tower Bridge and more.

We cruised down River Thames, admiring the transformation of London from archaic city to a modern capital. We cheered and applauded audacious and sometimes foolhardy street performers on a bustling Sunday.

We soaked in the atmosphere of the Covent Garden market and the excitement of the crowds near the Big Ben. Being bibliophiles, we immersed ourselves in bookstores and searched for bookshops selling old, old books! We also had fun taking the London Tube and comparing it with the MRT back home.

This little alley is filled with quaint little old bookshops!

This bookshop sells mainly first-edition books! How fascinating!

A chessboard for 3 that we chanced upon in Covent Garden. The Bees and their Papa tried playing, and it was a little more convoluted, but so much more fun with 3 persons playing!

We visited the British History Museum and gawked at the mysteries of evolution, largely inspired by Charles Darwin's work through the years. We spent an entire day in the British History Museum because there was just too much to learn and observe, from the beginnings of life to geology to dinosaurs.

The girls were fascinated yet overwhelmed at the same time. We had fun losing ourselves in the colossal and majestic museum building, while wondering how so many British school children can be on field trips in the museum (and all over London) all at once! We wish for as many field trips in Singapore schools!

The Bees looking at lots of stuffed little birds

Finally, what is a trip to London without a visit to the West End and immersing in their musicals? Big Bee fell deeply in love with the musicals in London, and we ended up watching 3! Les Miserables was Big Bee's absolute favourite, while Little Bee was hugely entertained by Mamma Mia, which totally suited her fun-loving and bubbly personality. Meanwhile, all of us were blown away by Elphaba's awe-inspiring vocals in Wicked. We also loved how different West End theatres had their own idiosyncrasies that were personalised to their respective musicals, and the intricate designs of the sets.

Les Miserables

The beautiful stage set of Wicked

The breathtaking and intricate designs of the theatres

Most of all, we had wonderful meals, sitting, chilling and just bonding together, a little family of 4 lost in a big, crowded city.