We had a family meeting in the foyer last night before going our separate ways (we are in four different rooms – three along the fourth floor and Ross, Zac, Sam and I on the lower ground floor). We gave the kids (and young adults) two options for today: the Imperial War Museum or Madame Tussaud’s and shopping.

By the time we met at breakfast, the options had doubled! Abi and Tom decided to do a tour of Wimbledon; Jarrod went to meet his school friends for brunch and then met up with Ross’ group; Beck and I took Jess, Belle and Ollie to Madame Tussaud’s; Ross and Luke took Tim and Zac to the Imperial War Museum; and Sam and Cooper decided they were old enough and independent enough to choose their own adventure 😬 so went to Shoreditch to play mini golf.

Beck navigated us easily on the tube system to Baker St and we spent two hours in Madame Tussaud’s.

I had carried three Oyster cards all the way from Sydney for the kids to use on the underground from our trip nine years ago, and topped up two cards for Belle and Ollie for today. Belle discovered not long into our tour of the wax museum that as she had pulled her phone out of her pocket to take photos, she must have dropped the plastic sleeve holding her Oyster card and room keycard. We did check with security before we left, but it was not handed in.

Our next stop was Covent Garden for lunch, and chocolate covered strawberries, which had been on Belle’s bucket list since a school friend was here earlier this year and posted them on Instagram. Covent Garden was PACKED with people! We found it difficult to find somewhere for lunch, even though it was 2pm, so waited in line for Shake Shack as that allowed us to sit at their tables undercover and protected from the chilling wind whipping up outside.

Over lunch, Belle showed us the Instagram posts of the rows of strawberries – and the location said Borough Markets! But they are everywhere, so she was able to buy some to share while I checked out the souvenirs and Beck bought some chocolate-dipped churros to share. The melted chocolate was delicious and well advertised…..what was not mentioned was how quickly the chocolate hardens in this cold weather – we broke two of the wooden forks provided trying to pry the strawberries from the hardened chocolate!

As Knightsbridge was on the same line, I had considered going home via Harrod’s, but Beck advised me the queues there were even more than at our current location, so we decided to give it a miss and head back to our hotel.

Meanwhile Jarrod had met the rest of the boys over at Brick Lane for lunch, famous for its Indian food. The boys then continued on to a pub near London Bridge to watch the EPL. They watched Liverpool v Tottenham as they ate and drank.

Ross rang me to assure me they were full and wouldn’t need dinner, so Beck, Ollie, Belle and Abi (who had rejoined us when Tom went to meet the boys to watch the game) went to a focaccia bar around the corner from our hotel to get dinner for us. On Sam’s bucket list had been to see a game live and also to watch a game in a pub with locals, so he has now achieved both goals!

The focaccia bar had a generous variety of focaccias, laid out on display in slabs. When choosing one, you say what size you would like and then it is weighed and charged for according to the weight. We ate delicious slices in the girls’ room (Abi, Belle and Jess are sharing a room here and they have the most spacious room and the best view out their window!), and then returned to our rooms to pack, as we are leaving at 5am tomorrow.

Some of the boys were hungry again (!) so went to Nando’s up the road for another meal, and Ross had to call them to come home, reminding them about our early start! At 5am we need to check out and walk all our suitcases 10 minutes up the road to Victoria Station to get the Gatwick Express. From there we fly to Bordeaux. I do love London and never have enough time here, but am already planning my next visit.