Day 6 started out as laundry day in the morning and letting the kids (and mommy) catch up on some sleep :) By the afternoon though, a carrot was thrown out to go see the Churchill War Rooms which I pounced on. After visiting this attraction we took a quick stroll through St. James's Park, which is across the street, on our way to to catch an organ recital at Westminster Abbey. Finally, to end our day, we had a good view of the Parliament Houses before taking the Tube home from Westminster station. Here is a link to our itinerary.
Churchill War Rooms (4 of 5)
"Never was so much owed by so many to so few" is probably one of my favorite quotes of Churchill. If you are interested in WWII history, this is an absolute must. If you have kids however - you may want to get a couple of hours to go through the museum yourself instead of dragging them through this place for 90 minutes. The Churchill War Rooms is one of 5 branches of the Imperial War Museum and first opened in 1939 until the end of WWII in 1945. The PM practically lived here and it served as an emergency bomb shelter for many statesmen to discuss strategy. They are preserved perfectly but the real gem in this whole place is the Churchill Museum that was opened in 2005. It is an interactive high-tech experience that takes you through the entire timeline of the War Room and consists of many artifacts. I just wish I could've spent more time here - so in lieu of that I got the guidebook! [Cost: 13.50 GBP/Adult; Free/Kids<5]
Westminster Abbey (5 of 5)
What a treat and unique experience that I will remember for a long time. Instead of going with the usual throng of tourists during the day, we went to a free 30 minute organ recital that they have year round at 17:45 every Sunday. Not only do you get access to the church, but you get to listen to some world class organists work that puppy and really take in the scenery. The stain glass work is nothing short of amazing and I couldn't imagine a better way to view the place. [Cost: Free; Normally: 15 GBP]
Parliament Houses (3 of 5)
Waking towards the Westminster station from the Abbey, we stopped by the Parliament Houses. Now I've been to Ottawa to Parliament Hill - which I admit looks pretty cool. But these Parliament buildings are what government buildings are meant to look like. If you go the right times, you can actually go in to observe a House of Commons session and get your fill of all the wig wearing politicians.
