Monday, Monday

Mark came into our room at 8:00am.  We went down to breakfast, and then Axel and Steffi walked the children to school while we had coffee and got ready for our breakfast in Richmond. We got to the restaurant about 10:30am. The choices were many, and all sounded really delicious. I got the vegetarian special, which was quite good.

After breakfast, Steffi and I took the tube to. Belgravia and the German Embassy to pick up her German ID.  We stopped on the way at Peter Jones, a really nice department store. I bought a top and some cute fit flops; Steffi bought a really cool top and shoes.  While she went into the Embassy, I went to a hotel we had passed, planning to sit outside to wait for her. However, it was a 25 pound charge to sit outside, so I went to the bar and ordered a Pimm’s.  I watched a photographer  and a hotel manager  set up a photo shoot of different special cocktails.  As the bartender made a third drink because he didn’t like the look of the second, Steffi arrived at the bar and was offered the second drink for free; by the end of our time there, we had 4 free drinks sitting in front of us. Thanks to James and Liz for an unexpected moment on the way home from the Embassy!

We stopped at Marks & Spencer to buy more provisions for dinner on our way home. Steffi then took Mark and Annie to Mark’s cello lesson while Bob and I sat with Axel.  Our evening meal was eaten outside on a lovely summer evening.  After the children went to bed, we watched the BBC news (always depressing) and then went to bed.