planning our stay. this show is sold out. but i’m hoping by being a member (which i am now) i can just walk in. fingers crossed

the first morning we spent a relaxed day in hyde park, like true londoners, but truer tourists

we have millions of pigeons in kuwait but not fat ones like this. and not ones that mingle with swans

these seagulls just hover boldly in front of people they suspect have a little snack for them. i actually saw a one-legged seagull. i think i was too mesmerized to take a photo

not a place for those with a bird phobia

from feathers to fur, hopefully faux

catching (and missing) a shot

later on that day we see the london eye, but it doesn’t see us. we’ll go tomorrow

this morning i’m ready to go out. it’s so cold outside it hurts your skin and zaps your energy

at thorpe park, a man and his giant banana

on the train ride back, a girl and her giant bubble

finally back in waterloo station. here’s a story: i forgot to take my debit card with me so had hardly any cash (i had my credit card but alas not the PIN number). when we got to staines station for thorpe park, both the taxis and shuttle took cash only. but lucky for us we met raj the taxi driver, who kindly offered to take us if i paid to fill his cab with ‘diesel’. it’s not so much a tremendously exciting story as it is a cautionary tale and a demonstration of human ingenuity (basically ‘thinking outside the box’. thank you, raj!)