London Layover

After leaving Africa, we had a longish layover in London because British Airways kept changing and cancelling our flights between London and Oslo.  We were only planning on hanging out and waiting at Heathrow Airport until Nate left for the U.S.  However, we couldn't wait together because our flights were out of different terminals, so an airport employee suggested leaving the airport if we wanted to wait together for a few hours.  Somehow that morphed into taking the express train to London.  Nate came to London with us and we walked to Hyde Park.  We found a red phone booth and Karina was excited to pretend to call down to the Ministry of Magic.  She has read the Harry Potter books so many times, and so she loved this. 

Nate left to go back to the airport and his flight.  The kids and I discussed options of what one thing we could do in London with limited time.  The clear consensus was going to King's Cross station and Platform 9 3/4, to continue our Harry Potter themed layover.  There was a long line to take a picture.  However, it was organized with free props.  Each kid got to announce which house they would be in, and got a scarf and wand to pose with.  In our family, Karina is Ravenclaw, Lydia is Slytherin, and Derek is Gryffindor, which means Karina considers herself smart and brainy, Lydia cunning, and Derek  brave and courageous.   An employee held out the scarf so it looked like you were running through the wall.  

After you take the pictures, you are routed into a Harry Potter store, which explains why taking the pictures with props was free.  Then we ate lunch at KFC, and headed back to the airport to go to Norway to visit Mimi and Mormor.