The Bleichs Hit London

Success was easily defined - and achieved - on the first full day of Tracy's family's visit to London: No one got hit by a car. Beyond that thankful fact, the rest was gravy. My inlaws, sister-in-law, and nephews were understandably knackered following a long day of travel, so after a nice morning of sleeping in and lounging about, we took the No. 98 bus down to Oxford Street (the major shopping thoroughfare in these parts) and then over to Regent Street, the home of Hamley's, one of the world's largest toystores. What a cool place. We had tons of fun going from floor to floor, playing games, trying different toys, sampling candy, and running around. There was one floor that was almost entirely devoted to Legos and elsewhere Evan masterfully jammed to a top score on Guitar Hero. The British kid to his left watched in awe and when Evan wrapped up, the kid reverently proclaimed: "very well done." (They don't say 'good job' here, it's 'well done.') To be sure, Hamley's has neither a chocolate river nor little orange workers, but there was definitely a good kids-of-all-ages vibe going on.

We got lucky with the weather all day - sunny and not cold - so we ambled over to Picadilly Circus and then further to Leicester Square and finally Covent Garden Market. The streets were teeming with people and Covent Garden was surprisingly full for a Sunday evening, including lots of street performers, some of whom had the good sense to include true locals (damn tourists!) in their shows.