Today was supposed to be a rainy day all day long.  Luckily, although the sky was always cloudy, it only drizzled off and on.  Mostly off.

Braden, Emily, Nathan and I went out for breakfast so that Braden and I could have a Full English.

We took the train, no changes for once – all on the Bakerloo line to Waterloo.  Of all the stations in London, this is the only one to be named after an Abba song.

We went through a food market which had Braden complaining loudly that he wanted everything but couldn’t eat after the Full English.

We walked across the Golden Jubilee bridge and through Whitehall Gardens toward Big Ben.

We knew that Big Ben’s tower was being worked on but never imagined it would be so enclosed in scaffolding as to be unrecognizable.  Since we intend to be back in this area tomorrow, we just walked along past Parliament to Victoria Tower Gardens.  We wanted to walk to Lambeth Bridge and cross back, for Braden and the kids appointment at the Eye, but time ran out and we went back and crossed Westminster Bridge.  The entire time we were there, bicyclists were speeding by.  It was Ride London day and we were at the 99 mile mark of a 100 mile ride for 40,000 cyclists.

While we were crossing Westminster Bridge, Nancy asked to have her 2009 crossing picture updated.  Fail!

While the others rode the Eye, Laura, Nancy and I went back to the food market and the day fell apart from there.  Due to miscommunications and Nancy forgetting her phone, we ended up with Laura coming home alone, Braden with the kids, and me with Nancy.

I did end up at a tea shop with Braden

The first shot is playing nicely.  The second is fighting over cake and hot chocolate at tea.