London: Makeshift Harry Potter Walking Tour

We woke up early with a mission: a Harry Potter walking tour before noon! We are switching hotels today and need to be out of our hotel by noon, making today one of many crazy London days.

The first stop on the tour is Kings Cross Station's Platform 9 3/4. Ella couldn't wait! As you walk into the station, they have a little setup complete with a cart, wands, and scarves of your favorite houses, all for free if you bring your camera. They take some pics for you that you can purchase from the store just a few steps away. Ella chose Ravenclaw! Miles was a little freaked by people staring at him, so he passed on getting his picture taken. We took a few of him just a few steps away. The actual station is pretty cool, mixing modern lines with the old brick.

The next stop was the Kings Cross tube and on to Leadenhall Market. Leadenhall Market was said to be one of the inspirations behind Diagon Alley. The kids were less than impressed with the hall. They were hoping to find real-life witches and wizards!

Next, off to London Bridge and Tower Bridge, where Harry and the gang flew over on broomsticks as they escaped from the death eaters. The Final stop, with just minutes to spare, was the Australian building said to represent Gringotts Bank. Wow! I can't believe we did that all before lunch. We are really getting good at navigating this big city. Now, on to our next hotel.

When we arrived at the hotel, we found out they weren't quite ready for us, so we dropped off our luggage and headed to Buckingham Palace. The palace was way cooler than any of us expected. We wandered around the grounds for quite a while before it started to rain. After a while, we decided to head back to the hotel to check out our room and grab some grub.

I think this was our busiest day in London yet! Only one more day left...