castles, cliffs and a pebble beach

… we left london reluctantly – all of us a bit sad to say goodbye but ready for the final chapter of our journey.

before heading too far south of london, we stopped for a morning at windsor castle. i (of course) was again caught up in the wonder of the royal family – i was tempted to break free of the guided tour and try to break my way into the private quarters of the queen. i just want a peek! but we did get to see so much and loved every little detail. so amazing to soak up all the history of this amazing place.

it was all so beautiful.

after lunch we were back in the car, and heading south to brighton beach. we were greeted with a rainstorm and fierce wind that made our umbrellas useless, so we spent a few hours at the aquarium, had a quick dinner and then cozied up in our hotel room for the night.

thankfully the sun peeked out the next morning, and i was praying for just a few hours of no rain so we could enjoy the beach for a bit. please oh please. prayers were answered, and we had the most beautiful morning.

none of us had ever seen a pebble beach before, so that was such fun. the girls flew down towards the water, laughing and tripping and holding hands and squealing as the wind blew their hair higher and higher. wen & i walked behind them, and my heart almost exploded with so much joy at watching their joy. we commented on how funny it was that we had just seen some of the most amazing sights in the world – things that people wait their whole life times to see – notre dame, the eiffel tower, buckingham palace – but it was this moment, this chance to throw rocks into the water and chase the waves (and be chased BY the waves) and feel the spray of the ocean on our faces – this was the moment that the girls enjoyed beyond all else. such a good reminder to me  to not try and force these larger-than-life experiences upon us, but to just enjoy the little moments which are filled with their own magic. it was, by far, my favorite few hours of the whole trip.

all too quickly it was time to go. we (again) packed up the car and headed towards the eurotunnel, which would take us from the UK back to france, and then ultimately back to our little apartment in germany. before checking in at the tunnel, we made a quick stop in dover to see the white cliffs and dover castle. we didn’t have time for much beyond a quick picture and an oh my goodness, look how beautiful! but it was the perfect way to end our adventures in england.

and about 10 hours later we were home. tired, in need of a shower and sleep. but so happy to be home. and already daydreaming about the next journey …