Day 2: Tower of London & Science Tea

We walk through the crowded, but charming, Columbia Road Flower Market, and enjoy
listening to the flower market barkers: “Three for a tenner!” (That would be a ten pound
note).

Next we visit the Tower of London. At the Crown Jewels exhibition, I keep finding James
climbing things (an ongoing theme of the trip) or sitting on a bar in front of a display,
not looking at it, and obliviously scooting along while blocking people’s views.

James and Julia with a Beefeater at the Tower of London.

And who doesn't want to see King Henry VIII's armor?

We walk across the Tower Bridge and take the Underground to The Ampersand Hotel’s
Science Tea (my full review is at the link). It’s one of several surprise teas I have
planned. (We end up not doing the Moroccan tea or the “High Chai” Indian tea, but we
do go to three full afternoon teas.) The Science Tea looks better than it tastes, but it
does look pretty cool. There’s dry ice causing smoke to pour down the tiered tea tray,
beakers of juice, syringes of raspberry jam, test tubes of sprinkles, and chocolate
mousse shaped like a planet with a chocolate spaceman. There’s even an
archaeological dig for a dino cookie and a chocolate fossil hidden under chocolate soil.

At the Tower Bridge Mark drinks outside The Bridge Master's Dining Room. (We have no idea what this is either.)

The kids try to lift the Underground sign on our first trip on the Tube.

Julia at the science tea. Check out the smoke from the dry ice.

Kathy uses the syringe to squeeze raspberry jam into her sesame macaron.

Julia LOVES tea.

James is in a chocolate coma after tea.

Julia’s favorite thing of the day: Tea.

James’s favorite: Jumping down the stairs of the hotel where we had tea.


Day 1: We Arrive in East London - July 2017
Day 3: Indian Food, Greenwich, and Mark's Cousin Shelby