Day 3 - 9 Nov 14 - London

We met the rest of the group around 8am plus at the hotel lobby. Our first priority would be to satisfy our tummies and off we went, in search for the most convenient eatery where we could have our first meal of the day. We had intentionally planned to eat at a particular cafe but it was closed. So, we settled at Pret A Manger where we had our sandwiches and coffee.

Next, we took a train to Westminster station. We decided to do the cruise along River Thames that took us between Westminster and Tower piers. When we were in the middle of the River, the view was just simply awesome. All 360 degrees, there were just many stately and historic buildings of London that captured my attention and the natural reaction followed - to snap away at every possible angles.

We arrived at Tower pier half an hour later. The crowd was horrendous because at Tower of London, many people gathered together to pay tribute to the heroes that died during the World War. The seas of red poppies decorated the moat outside Tower of London. For us, we found a spot where Tower Bridge was right before our very eyes and we took turn to take pictures with it as the backdrop.

Lunch was at Jamie's Italian, Piccadilly. The name is synonymous with good food and thus, needless to explain, we left the place, fully satisfied.

After lunch, we took the tube to Buckingham Palace where all the beautiful parks are located. The kids fed the ducks with tiny bread crumbs and they seemed to enjoy themselves simply doing that. I was just basking in the beautiful autumn and admiring the shades of golden leaves. What made it even more enjoyable was the weather - it was chilly but not too cold. The kids also spent a couple of minutes at the playground at St. James's park before they were asked to leave when it was time for the attendant to lock the gate to its entrance. Apparently, the closing time to the playground was 5pm.

We took a train to Covent Garden. Before dinner, we went to Marks and Spencer to get sandwiches for our breakfast tomorrow. When we were done with our purchase, we walked to Gerrard Street where Chinese restaurants flanked both sides of the street. And according to some good reviews and recommendation, we had our dinner at Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant where roasted duck was the main highlight.

We went back to the hotel at 8pm by taxi. I slept soon after the kids were settled and after helping Emma with some packing.