Day 20 – Eye, Aquarium, clinic

So to make up for yesterday being a day stuck at home for the most part, we decided to head back to the city and visit the London Eye & Sea Life Aquarium. We got down around 1pm and was surprised to see so many people – especially kids there. Because we got our Merlin pass at Warwick, we just got to wait in the line to board the London Eye (Huge Ferris Wheel) instead of waiting in the equally long line for tickets. Once we boarded our “pod,” we got to view the city for 30 minutes (the time it takes to go all the way around without it ever stopping). It is quite an operation. They have an extra long boarding/debarking area. So unless someone needs assistance because of a wheelchair, it never stops. You step on and off while it is moving.

After the ride, we went to the playground right next to the line for the eye. It was a lot of fun. And we heard a lot of American accents there as the school kids were not in the playground – it was all tourists.

After the playground, we went next door to the Sea Life Aquarium (also a part of the Merlin Pass). The aquarium was also packed with kids – many of them in uniforms. School is still in session for another week or so and a lot of the kids were there for field trips. They were on the Eye too.

At the aquarium, we saw sea horses, lots of fish, penguins, coral, eels, and all types of sharks. It was great, very crowded with all of the school kids, but the girls were able to make their way to the front a lot of times to get a look. One time, Ainsley ended up getting stuck as a swarm of school kids pushed their way to see the penguins as she was trying to get away from the window. The chaperone got the kids to slow down so she could get out. The aquarium had a lot of information about saving the fish and protecting the environment which the kids too time reading about and answering the questions.

Then we decided to cross a bridge over the Thames instead of taking the underground. It was windy so we walked quickly but I did get to take a picture with Big Ben in the background. The bridge we were crossing I found out later is the Westminister Bridge. Duh. Then we took the underground back to Richmond. Ainsley's rash had still not really dissipated so we went to the Teddington Hospital Walk-in clinic so the doctor could write a prescription for some hydrocortisone (not an over-the-counter drug like back home). After 2 1/2 hours, we were done. And somehow, it was 100% free even the hydrocortisone because Ainsley was under 16. I tried to pay, but they said we were covered under the NHS, the health plan here. Then Scott called on his way home and decided to meet us in Teddington. So we had dinner at a Tapas restaurant he had gone to before and then headed home. Long day, but definitely made up for yesterday.