Second full day in London, April 13, 2025

 Another full day. It was cooler and, by evening, when we came home, we were all chilly.

 

Our first adventure was taking the tube to the Embankment and walking halfway across the bridge. Then - a walk to Covent Garden where we ambled and Sebastian shopped a bit. We had coffee and watched public performers (opera and then a 7-piece stringed instruments group which was excellent.) We also saw an entertaining acrobatics/juggler act which was quite good. 

We got some street food before walking to Gillian Lynne Theatre on Drury Lane where we saw My Neighbor Totoro.

It was quite memorable. The sets were truly amazing. Buildings where whisked on and off the rotating stage and transformed into different buildings. People in dark costumes manipulated puppets and creatures including a flock of chickens, a goat, rabbits and an enormous spirit of the woods called Totoro.

It was a heart-warming story of a family that moved out of Tokyo because the mother needed hospital care, so the father and the two young girls, moved to an old house in the woods. The little girl, Mei, got lost in the woods and Totoro rescued her. The audience loved it. Sebastian bought a tshirt and a tote bag.

Then, Shirley met us at the Real

Greek restaurant around the corner, so Sebastian got to meet one of the English relatives. It was fun. And, the food was great and the maitre d' took great care of us. Sebastian ordered Greek coffee which was way too strong and he made him a new one with another formula. (And, he did not charge us for the coffee.) Sebastian had prawns and also his first baklava. Mark and I had an interesting Greek tea that sounded like "cedar something - no caffeine. 

 Then, Shirley headed for the Northern line and we headed to the Strand to pick up the 15 bus back to Tower Hill....and got an old RouteMaster double decker which was a treat. You can't use an Oyster card as it doesn't have the technology and the conductor had to call out the stops. It was a nice treat.