The Shard, Ride on Thames River, Dinner with Kevin and Erika Strom

Well. Well. Well....it just keeps getting better and better-- the trip AND the weather!  Today was the warmest day this year!  It climbed all the way to 78 degrees!  It was MAGNIFICENT !  

We began the day with a bouncy, fun, energetic guide named Henrietta Ferguson (henriettaferguson.com)  --- a Blue Badge guide who had been with Trey, Annette and  Gaby while we were at Wimbledon!  She did a GREAT job of filling us in on all the important details of London sightseeing!

We headed for The London Shard which at 1033 feet is the tallest building in Europe.  We went up to the 69th and 72nd floor for amazing views of the city!!!  

After the Shard, Trey went to Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park while the rest of us went shopping in the funky but oh so fun Brick Lane Market!  All the girls did quite well shopping-- even Gaby!  

I must digress for a moment to relay something that happened yesterday that I neglected to include in the blog last night.  While touring Bleinham Castle, Trey discovered his wedding ring was gone.  He was not sure exactly when he had it last.  He immediately went back to the men's room at the Castle but to no avail!  We called the hotel we'd just left to have them search his room...the loss of the ring cast a terrible pall on the day!! He was dreading telling Annette..  Once the tour was done, Trey went back to look in the men's room one more time.  As he tells it, "he was that guy looking underneath each stall door In the men's room. In the last stall, next to the hot air hand dryer, he found it!  A louder war hoop had not been heard at that castle for 300 years!  It probably fell off as he had his hands In the the air dryer and then someone kicked it into the last stall.  Trey scared an Indian gentleman with the war hoop.  The explanation of finding the wedding ring that had been lost for two hours didn't seem to impress the gentleman very much as he fled the men's room!

One other note I forgot to mention.  We learned the origin of "eavesdrop"!  In the 1600's, windows were built high off the street, but the eaves of the roof would extend out from the house to try and keep the walls of the house dry.  Neighbors who would stand under the eaves and under the windows  would overhear conversations and were considered "eavesdroppers"!

Now, back to today!  After the Market, we headed for an amazing boat ride on the MONEY PENNY down the River Thames.  Our boat trip included a delicious picnic lunch!  The weather could NOT have been more perfect!  We were so lucky!  After our great cruise, we had been invited to the beautiful penthouse home of wonderful friends, Kevin and Erika Strom.  Kevin is the son of one of my closest friends and he and his wife, Erika, live and work in London.  Our oldest son, Trey, grew up with Kevin and his brother!  There were a lot of stories being retold and good times remembered!!  The dinner was delicious and the company delightful!!

Tomorrow is our last day in London and our last day with Mimi.  She will head back to Birmingham for the 4th festivities with her family while the rest of us head to Washington, D.C.  to celebrate the 4th.