Day 32:
Dialed it way back today.
Cold and rainy. Didn't go very far afield, Jan and I and Leanne and Tara went only one tubestop down the line, to Hammersmith. Shopped there at a nice mall, had lunch in the food court. Yes, we can spend a day in London without being in a pub. Jan in full mommmy-mode, buying stuff for the girls. Everybody very happy.
London is an amazingly multi-cultural city. I knew that, but am still shocked at the extent of it. In that mall, on a Sunday afternoon, white english-as-a-first-language Londoners would have represented 20% or less. Often, those who look like they might be 'locals' are speaking what must be a central european language of some sort, with occaisionally french or german in evidence. Many many muslim people, with some of the women in burquas and some of the men in traditional dress. Quite a few from India, with a smaller number of Asians. One obvious American, with a Seattle Seahawks jacket on.
And it all works so well, everybody happy and smiling and friendly. A true melting pot as London is represented to be, with everyone's identity respected while everyone mixes in together.
Not a single picture taken by Jan or I, just a family day with dinner at home and watched a Harry Potter movie on the telly. Perfect, just what we needed.