Celebrating the end of Travis 2nd year!!

At Stratford-upon-Avon Marina

Josh at cousin Duran's Home, with Eron

The kids riding Uncle Rowlands kit cars with Jacob & Mauricio Duran

Katie, Lauryn & Jacob in the tractor

Sir Josh the knight, Princess' Katherine & Lauryn, Travis & Jacob at Hampton Court Palace, London

On deck of the ''Golden Hinde'' Tudor Navy Ship, London

Travis finished his 2nd year exams, and we went off to London for a few days. The kids were out for Whit Week half term also. We had a fun couple days camping in Chertsey, with the Camping & Caravanning Club. It was great. Weather was good, and the kids enjoyed the club house right next to our pitch. It meant I could watch the last 20 minutes of the Champions League final tho and enjoyed watching Manchester United getting slaughtered by Barcelona. I do like it when I get to witness Manchester United having a good cry!! LOL

We had a good ride into London on the train and after we got some immigration photos done, we went to the Golden Hinde. Its a Tudor sailing ship captained by Sir Francis Drake. We got on a workshop and went thru each level which was demonstrated and shown how each person on the ship would live and things they had to do. The kids loved it. Its always good to find something different away from the usual tourist hot spots everyone knows in London. We had a really lovely walk along the River Thames along Bankside back to Waterloo Station, it took some time, but we could see all the sights on the other side of the river, and walked past Shakespeare's The Globe Theater and the Tate Gallery, Millenium Bridge. Would really liked to go on the London Eye, but its just way too expensive for us. It made a nice change from going in and out of stinky dingy tube stations and not seeing anything.

We had a day at Hampton Court Palace, which was fantastic. It was such a cool place to visit. This was one of the residences of King Henry VIII and so there was lots for us to see here. Lauryn was excited as she has just started the Tudor period at School. We liked seeing the Chapel where he married one of his many wives and the royal box. We had a good laugh in the Maze despite my attempts to memorise the way into the middle, we still got lost LOL.

Then we went to stay with my Auntie Barbara & Uncle Rowland. We just love staying with them. They are so kind and the kids love it at their house. The weather was great the whole time. We had a fun couple hours walking around the market at St Albans town center, and went to a nearby river where the kids could play in the water. There were some huge fish that would swim right past our legs! We had fun times with my cousins Clare & Claudio Duran & Janet & Ian. We had a fun time up at the Duran's ''farm'' on Sunday. It was the best.

We made a stop in Stratford-upon-Avon to break up the travel home. We haven't been there since Katie was a baby. So its been some time. Its such a beautiful place though. We didn't have time to go and look at the birthplace of Shakespeare this time, but we just had enough to spend a couple glorious hours relaxing by the River Avon and having some lunch in the sun.

Now we are awaiting the exam results..........................