The only way to go up in popularity as far as English writers from J.K. Rowling is to go straight to the top. Today was dedicated to Will Shake! We still haven't quite adapted to London time. I awoke at 11:35 am and checked my emails. Turns out we had a private tour at the Globe that was moved from 1 pm to noon so that we could get in to one of the theatres that would be occupied at 1.
A mad scramble to get everyone up and out ensued. We thought we'd try our luck and forgo raincoats - bad idea. It started raining just as we got down the street, so the kids ran back to get our raincoats. Fortunately, we are within a 10 minute walk from the Globe - we ran so it only took us 6 minutes and we arrived just after noon. We were extremely grateful to have Amy Cody give us a special behind the scenes look at the Globe, including a walk on the famous stage. Of course, this provided us an opportunity not only to take a group shot, but also for Lara to get a great spot to do another handstand! Amy had also worked out for us to watch a sword fighting demo - that was a blast. Since we had rushed out without any food, we were a bit hungry and took a little break for a bite at Starbucks. It seems like there is one every few blocks in London.
We then caught up with a group tour of the Globe and were treated to a show by a great tour guide, Lauren. She was hilarious - a real character who led us through what things were like back in Shakespeare's time at the Globe.
After the tour, we took a walk across the Millennium bridge and were reminded of the scene in Harry Potter when it is blown up. Another good photo op - both of the family and of the handstand queen. We came back to our lodging for a break and to repack our bags so we will be ready to go tomorrow. We unloaded quite a bit - Lara more than the rest of us. The other day's review of the Coast to Coast book was a bit of a reality check. We had packed pretty lightly, but knew that we could shave off some weight - we're leaving a duffle bag full of stuff (at least 10 pounds worth) at the hotel. Fortunately, we're staying at the same place when we return to London the day before we leave, so we can just leave the bag here.
At 5:15 it was time to head out to find some food before heading back to the Globe. We got some burritos at a local Mexican restaurant, responded to some business emails, and then headed over to the theatre. What an experience - I imagine seeing any show at the Globe would be incredible. Match that with a great production, like the one we saw, and it is magical. We feel so grateful to have had this experience. And it didn't rain during the show - a nice bonus considering it is an open air theatre. We're back home now at 10:30 and hope to get to bed a little earlier tonight. Tomorrow is a travel day, our next leg on the way up to the starting point.
If the days to come can match or top this one, we are in for a treat!
Lara's observation of the day: I feel like we are filling up culturally in big and brilliant ways (touring the Globe backstage followed by an evening performance of King John) to fully absorb the richness of London in preparation for our trek in the country.
Olivia's observation of the day: Getting up as late as we have, and eating as little as we have is very un-Heimann-like for us!
Jonah's observation of the day: We had an amazing night at the outdoor Globe theater!