Day 1 — Arrival and Trafalgar Square

On July 7 we arrived in London and took the new Elizabeth Line (amazing new train!) directly from Heathrow to Paddington. After storing our bags at Paddington, we had a delicious lunch at Patogh, a Persian restaurant on the Edgware Road. Then we hopped on the No. 6 bus (for old time’s sake) and rode to Trafalgar Square where we got a glimpse of the newly unveiled and refurbished Big Ben (very shiny)! Alexander asked about the strange looking sculpture on the Fourth Plinth at Trafalgar. Since 1998, the Fourth Plinth has hosted public art commissions. The 13th installation is called The End by Heather Phillipson. It features a “dollop of whipped cream with an assortment of toppings, a cherry, a fly, and a drone.” The drone films people in the Square and transmits the feed to a screen for all to see.