Our trip to London
A Photographic Panorama by Dori Stern (Age 12), Zoe Sistrom (Age 11), and Aaron Stern (Age 7)
[with a little help from Steven Stern (surprisingly young)]
Dori, Zoe, and Aaron Working at Madame Tussaud's
Dori's Comments: Madame Tussaud's is a museum with wax figures. They look like real people who are famous sports, music, and political people. The basement is extremely scary with villains and severed people.
Aaron's Comments: I didn't like Madame Tussaud's. It was scary. There was skeleton in a jail on the ceiling.
Dad's Comments: Madame Tussaud's is a museum with wax figures. The historical ones are really interesting. The ride through London's history is very interesting. The basement was too scary for kids (though Zoe was brave enough to do it).
Outside the British Museum
Dori's Comments: The British Museum consists of very historical, famous artifacts from different parts of the world like mummies, Greek statues, old money, and very important stuff like the Rosetta stone. It has an amazing library where Karl Marx studied.
Aaron's Comments: There was a mummy inside of the coffin.
Dad's Comments: The British museum is amazing, especially the Egyptian collection. However, getting Aaron to look at the mummies required the physical efforts of Dori, Zoe, and me. Once he saw them, he felt much better. On a side note, Dori and Zoe are considering the synthesis of Hegelian philosophy and Marxist historiography after having a chance to study in the British museum reading room.
Inside the British Museum at a Greek Temple Facade
Inside the British Museum: Visit to Ancient Egypt
Dad's Comments: Aaron was excited to see Ancient Egypt and decided mummies were not so scary after all.
Inside the British Museum: Ancient Egypt Meets Greece
Inside the British Museum: Main Area Ceiling
Inside the British Museum: Indian Art
Inside the British Museum: East Asian Art
Inside the British Museum: Dori Considering War
Inside the British Museum: Western Hemisphere
Inside the British Museum: Library
On the Thames
Dori's Comments: On the Thames shore are many really cool buildings, places, and bridges like the Eye, the Tower of London, and Tower Bridge.
Aaron's Comments: I was scared of the Tower of London. I liked Big Ben.
Dad's Comments: We took a ride on a boat on the Thames. Dori was a bit excited, so Zoe had to get her to "chill."
The Tower of London from the Thames
Dori's Comments: We didn't visit here. But I learned that it was a dungeon, and it still has a spooky feeling about it. There are no more bad people in it.
Aaron's Comments: We didn't go there. It was scary.
Dad's Comments: Aaron is very nervous about the Tower of London, probably because in a former life, he spent much time there.
The Tower of London from the Thames
London Eye in the Evening
Parliament in the Evening
Building on Thames
Big Ben
Big Ben in Distance
Huts to Skyscrapers
Picture of Aaron, Zoe, and Dad
Dori's Comments: I think Dad was scared of the camera when we took this picture.
Police Station
Changing of the Guard (at the police station)
Dad's Comments: The three children kept trying to become London guards (see the picture from Madame Tussaud's above). They kept on getting caught and will have to remain students in the US for now.
On the Tour Bus
A London Street
Big Chimney Church
Outside the Globe Theater
Dori's Comments: The Globe Theater is a "remodel" of the old one where William Shakespeare himself worked.
Dad's Comments: The Globe Theater was a great tour. Here, the children got to practice their English accents. Zoe's was quite good. Dori's needed work (it sounded Australian to Zoe). Aaron's sounded Indian.
Inside the Globe Theater
Dad's Comments: Inside we went on an excellent tour got to see a class on fencing (acting).
Trafalgar Square
St. Paul's Cathedral
Dori's Comments: There was an awesome view of London from the top. Warning: Do not climb up in anything but sneakers!
Dad's Comments: We all loved St. Paul's. I thought it was a beautiful, spiritual place. The kids liked climbing to the top of the dome and seeing me collapse despite my wonderful physical shape (they are really rotten kids).
Picture Postcard of St. Paul's Cathedral
Westminster Abbey with Dori, Zoe, and Aaron
Dad's Comments: Westminster Abbey is a nice place to die, but only if you come from the right British family and have lots of money.
Westminster Abbey Again
Buckingham Palace
St. James Park from the Buckingham Palace Side
St. James Park from the Parliament Side
English Money
Dad spent one day at the Economics Department at University College London discussing his brilliant paper, entitled Long-Term Care, Informal Care, and Home Health Care.