Dear Friend,
In a recent piece about family travel in the New York Times, Reif Larsen wrote There is something refreshing about watching the very young play in a very old place. We must care about history, but we must not care too much. The wheel of time spins.
We learned that on our family trip to London this summer, crossing the city with a soccer ball in our backpack, always ready to step out of a museum and into a green space for a scrimmage.
The British Museum allowed us the carry it in (securely stowed, of course), but we had to check it with security at Warner Bros Studio “because the Harry Potter movie sets and relics are original and irreplaceable.”
Funnier still was our visit to the Tower of London. The Beefeater who led us was especially friendly, so my son approached him after the tour. “May I kick my soccer ball in the moat?”
After a short pause he smiled and agreed. “No crazy stuff, OK?” Security guards hesitated, but when my husband mentioned the Beefeater’s approval, their demeanor changed instantly and they graciously opened the gates. See the photo above.
There are lots of ways to be in a place. Traveling with multiple generations opens places to us in new ways and makes stories like these that become family legend, told and retold. Now is the time to start planning a trip with family!
Wishing you lots of stories to share at your table,
