Feed the Birds, Tuppence a Day

When we lived in Germany (decades ago, alas) the folks made it a point to travel and visit as many places as we could.  Dad said, upon our arrival in Wiesbaden, that "we were not going to be like those American's who hunkered down on the base and never saw anything while they were here."  We even lived "on the economy" in a house in a little town called Wehen (now it is part of a larger Taunus, I believe)  on Fleckenbornstrasse 16.  I've actually gotten to look it up on google maps, and sure enough, there it was! 

But I digress. One of the fun trips that we had was when Dad got sent TDY (militarese for Temporary Duty to London.  I have no idea how it was arranged, but for a week we lived in someone's flat or something.  At any rate it was not a hotel.  Dad had to work most of the week and it might have been two weeks.  But on the weekends and in the evenings we "did things."   I remeber watching the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace and riding the tube.   During that time we took a side trip to Stratford-Upon-Avon and stayed in a bed and breakfast  there.  We visited Stonehenge too, and THAT is a bit of a sore spot in the family.  My little brother was left sleeping in the car since the folks didn't want to disturb him and all he saw was the stones fading away in the sunset as the car headed back for London.  Ah, he does not like thinking about how close he got to it without seeing it and he has never quite forgiven them!

But he did get to visit the sights in London.  This is one of my favorite photos dated May 1967.   I have it in color somewhere.  (Hm. . .perhaps I should say "colour" considering the location.) But it is just as wonderful in black and white. With all the fun things we did, this picture is what I think of when I think of our time in London.  We bought pigeon food from a vendor and had a wonderful time feeding the birds for "tuppence a day".