Never Mind the Bollocks Here's Omi

I had mixed feelings about visiting Great Britain because of the whole war thing. I understand most people have gotten over the Revolutionary War by now, but believe me when I tell you I can really hold a grudge. Plus, as a legal resident of Washington D.C., that whole “taxation without representation” thing is not easily forgiven.

But I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised to find there have been some significant changes over the past two hundred and some odd years. Now, the only marching that gun-toting, red-coated soldiers do is for the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Such behavior used to send terrified colonists running for cover but now their descendents flock to the spectacle with cameras to document the adorable show of “force.” For babies and others of comparatively diminutive stature (i.e. my assistants) this is the view of the changing of the guard:

The only part I could see was the end when the military marching band broke into the theme from Benny Hill and the old guard exited out the palace gates chasing a blonde in a bikini.

Despite perpetually bleak weather warnings, we had lots of sun and only a few minutes of rain during the week we spent in London. There were many opportunities to take advantage of the beautiful parks and squares such as St. James, Regent, Hyde, and Trafalgar. I chased ducks and pigeons and sampled the ice cream in many of them. We did opt out of the “Taste of London” festival in Regent Park, however, because we thought it was a joke. Sadly, it was not. I also checked out Picadilly Circus, which, compared to other circuses, was quite tame.
Here are some of my favorite photos from the trip:

London calling… collect. It is the second most expensive city in the world and even a crappy plate of bangers and mash set my team back a pretty pence.

I tried to challenge conventional British propriety and stodginess with the creation of a Royal Pantsless Rugby League. No one else showed up.

Practicing some of my rugby tackles at the Princess Diana Memorial Empty Space.

A good adventure traveler records details of where and when her photos were taken. I snapped this one at Big Ben at 10:30.

As the only civilized nation that drives on the wrong side of the road, the British have to tell pedestrians which way to look when they cross the street. Apparently, they got tired of peeling Americans off the grills of their big red buses.

Impressive marvel of 18th century engineering with gothic flare or cheap Disneyland Magic Kingdom knock-off?

A note to my loyal fans: You may have noticed that my Baby Adventure journal entries are becoming more infrequent. Some of your fan mail has begun to ask the inevitable questions, such as “Are you hanging up the traveling shoes?”, “Have you become jaded with adventure?”, or the ominous, “You can’t stay a Baby Adventure Traveler forever and the whole cute schtick is going to wear off.” To these critics I acknowledge that the workload is heavy and the number of places to explore seems insuperable. I have not lost the passion for discovery, but I am coming to the realization that I need some support. I have already set my assistants on the task of bringing on a sidekick, someone younger who can keep the team focused with that fresh baby perspective. Please bear with us through this time of transition.

Until next time, peace to all.
Omi, Baby Adventure Traveler (I have not abdicated yet)