New Year's Eve in Cotswolds

On New Year's Eve Tracy and Doug went for a little drive around a couple of the nearby villages.  There were lots of epic dominos and some time for reading and some games as we curled up in front of the fire in our warm and toasty cottage.

Cotswolds

It was a wonderful cottage in the Cotswolds, where we got out into the country.  Winter is certainly different than summer, but it was very fun to get to stay in our warm cottage and have some wonderful little walks and drives around the Cotswolds.

Visiting Henry!

Thanks to Julie Shaw and Richard Knox' wonderful hospitality (and Henry giving up his room), we were able to spend a night with them before stashing our stuff (which was invaluable, given that all our luggage would not have fit in our rental car!).  It was a chilly, frosty day - and a good chance to catch up with them before we got our rental car and headed to the Cotswolds.

Fullertons

What a delight to get to catch up with the Fullertons, enjoying their first few months back in Amman while having a chance to hear about how things are at ACS and their recent Ireland adventures.

British Museum

We rushed around the British Museum, making our kids see a few of the most important sights (the Rosetta Stone) and then they camped out in the library while we tried to see a few of the bigger sights.  Meanwhile, we got word that the Fullertons were not far away, so we tried to head their way.

Museum of Natural History

Woa, it was a long wait to get into the Museum of Natural History.  Because it was free (school holidays?), there were loads of people waiting to get in.  Thankfully, we got there early enough that the line went quick enough that we managed to get in.  We spent much of the day chasing the Fullertons, who we found out were in London. 

National Gallery

Kids weren't too excited, but the adults sure did enjoy the National Gallery and some of the incredible works of art in this historic location. 

Bitners!

How fun to get to see the Bitners and come North of London to meet them.  Thankfully, they came to the end of the Tube line and picked us up.  It was a delightful chance for a Boxing Day meal.  It was a wonderful meal and warm hospitality.

Aquarium

The aquarium was a nice addition, though certainly quite underwhelming after the fun and interactivity of the London Dungeon and the beauty of the London skyline.

Family Picture Attempt

Not sure this quite makes the cut - though certainly a scenic backdrop.

Views from London Eye

After a really, surprisingly enjoyable time in the London Dungeon, we made our way to the London Eye.  Some great views of the city on a clear day and a chance to enjoy some of scenic London.

Big Ben

We spent the day downtown seeing some of the big sights.  With a pass, we got tickets to the London Dungeon, the London Eye and the Aquarium.  We also had Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum as part of the package (though were unable to work in the latter). 

Nice to get to see some of the world's most iconic sights - right on the banks of the Thames.

Christmas Day

With everything closed, especially transportation, Christmas Day was quite the low-key day staying in our AirBnb.  Kids caught up on a bunch of Harry Potter Movies after such a great Christmas Eve. We also had the chance for cooking something for our Christmas Dinner.

Butterbeer Ice Cream, Platform 9 3/4 and Privet Drive

The last half of the Harry Potter tour had even more incredible sights.  We got to visit the restaurant and have some butterbeer ice cream (yum!).  We also got to see Platform 9 3/4, Privet Drive and the amazing to-scale creation of Hogwarts, complete with snow and impressive lighting. 

Harry Potter Studios

Thanks to eagle eyes and a cancellation from a few weeks ago, we were able to get tickets for Harry Potter Studios  on Christmas Eve.  This was a definite highlight of the trip for the kids.  Amazing to see the attention to detail and how all of the movies were made. 

Such intricate props and elaborate sets.