more pictures from days 3 and 4

at the spa...weren't allowed camera in the actual spa otherwise you would have gotten a beautiful skyline view of Bath. Darn.

Cala and Mom at Stonehenge

Days 3 and 4

On Tuesday (Cala's bday), we went to the Tower of London (and saw all the bloody torcher chambers, where Queen Ann Boylin, among others, had her head chopped off, and King Richard the III's 2 nephews were murdered). We also saw St. Paul's Cathedral and Jed said that is, by far, his favorite. Some of us even managed to walk the 400 some odd steps up to the top dome! And in the evening, Mom, Dad, Mark, Jed, and I went to a play at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. While I understood practically nothing of what was said, the ambience was nice. Jed left at intermission. Apparently the ambience was good, but not good enough. Dad and I would have left too if we thought we could have gotten away with it.

On Wednesday, we left the Rushmore Hotel in London (and the 900 steps that are in there without a 'lift'!) We hightailed it back to Heathrow Airport to pick up our van from the rental company Sixt. Our luggage fit brilliantly (and you were worried...) and with 1 navigator, 1 person to help the driver stay on the left side, 1 driver, and the rest of us covering our eyes, we made it out of London and over to Stonehenge. We marveled at that for a while and then continued on over to Bath. We left Jessie and Baby Sarah at the beautiful Bailbrook House and Manor (our b&b) and went to the Thermal Spa and got to sit for 2 hours (oh how I've missed just sitting) in the healing spa waters of Bath. And just so you don't think we ditched Jessie, when asked to go she said, 'Why would I sit with other people in dirty water?' Geesh.

We made it!

Well after a VERY long couple of flights in coach (oy!) we made it to London at approximately 11PM after leaving KC at 3 AM. Mom and Dad met us at the airport and sheperded us to our hotel. On Sunday, we went to Mass, Hampton Court (one of Henry VIIIth Castle) Palace, and out to see the Aunts outside of Lodon. On Monday, we visited the Eye, Buckingham Palace (Home of the Queen), White Hall, Marble Arch, Piccadilly Circus, 10 Downing Street (where the Prime Minister lives), Jack the Ripper tour, and many other places. I know, sounds like a lot, huh. Welcome to a Reinert vacation. We take a 24 hour day and try to squeeze in 30 hours worth of stuff to see. Power walking and advil taking have commenced. On tap for tomorrow....Tower of London, Tower Bridge, St. Paul's Cathedral, and a play at the Globe Theatre.

The Crisis' have started.

So Jessie (Rob's wife) just about didn't get to come. She called yesterday in a panic saying she forgot to change her passport to her married name. Cala immediately said, "I knew something like this was going to happen! I just thought it would be Rob!" And then to which Dad emailed and said, "I just talked to Gulf Air and they wouldn't let her on without the name on her passport matching the ticket. She can't go." To which I replied, "Well, I'm still taking Baby Sarah." Anyhow, 7 hours and dozens of calls to American Airlines, TSA, and each other; 'The Great White Hope' (AKA -Dad) got the ticket changed to Jessie's maiden name free of charge and she's good to go. No small feat since he did it in Bahrain! Way to go, Dad! The trip is still a go. Now where are our matching berets.......

Getting Ready

We've shopped till we dropped and bought all sorts of travel size toiletries and thin, non-wrinkley (hopefully) clothes. Last week we did a trial run on packing. We can each only take 1 carry on size roller board suitcase because we have to fit 9 people's suitcases in our one rental car. Over the weekend we continued our final run down to leaving on Saturday (5th) by watching National Lampoon's European Vacation. I'd like to say our trip will be nothing like that....but we all already have the matching hats.

Thankfully without our names on them, but matching hats still.

Get ready Europe, the Reinerts' are coming to town.