Google’s London Victoria Office, Regent’s Park, London Zoo
[Written 13 November 2013. There are always a post or two from trips that are so big that I refrain from writing them. This is one of them.]
Anna injured her heel in the beginning of October, and the big carrot I dangled in front of her to keep her off her feet so she’d get better, was promising her a trip to the zoo (which she’d need to be able to walk around).
So, around 10 am on a Wednesday morning, two hours after Finnur had already left for work, dad drove the rest of us to the train station in two trips, to board a train to London. (60 images total.)
At the train station, waiting for the train to London Victoria which was a little late.
Dad and Shirley patiently waiting for the train.
Emma a little doubtful about the whole thing.
Anna aboard the train.
The view from the train was often pretty pretty.
At London Victoria station.
We walked across a road and entered the building Google is housed in. We had to check in at the ground level, no pictures allowed.
A few floors up, we found Google!
Finnur showed us around the office, which is on three floors. We were very impressed with the selection of milk.
Bjarki and Anna adding their names to a whiteboard in the hallway.
The i got some extra flourish!
There’s a bus in one of the hallways!
Well, a part of a bus anyway. 🙂
Anna gets a turn at the wheel.
Anna and Bjarki hug one of the Android dudes.
The middle of one of the floors houses an indoor garden. That white thing at the top is the skylight.
Next to the garden is The Coffee Lab, home of the huge coffee machines.
Wanna lounge and read interesting books? 🙂
Dad was very happy to get a cup of coffee!
Contemplating the coffee machine.
Anna with Emma in ‘the garden’.
Siblings on a boat.
Mom having a sit down with Bjarki.
After we’d finished checking out all three floors, we had lunch at the main cafeteria.
We left Google so that Finnur could get back to work, and took the tube to Regent’s Park.
To get to the London Zoo, we had to walk all through the park. It’s not a small park.
Kids waving their arms.
I always find it funny when tall buildings border fancy parks.
Still walking. The walk is nominally 20 minutes long.
Finally at the zoo itself!
About to check out the tigers.
We found the two tigers basking in the sun. Once we got closer, we witnessed a quick tiger-shag!
Hi there tigers!
Checking out the reptiles.
Our cheeky monkeys.
By the gorilla enclosure.
A gorilla hiding in the bush.
Emma sockless again!
Planning where to go to next.
Petting some goats.
Shirley by the meerkats.
Play area!
Super-awesome bird-play-structure that moves like it’s flying!
Anna making the bird fly while Bjarki sits inside.
Girls laughing after the tiny monkey on the left suddenly tried to grab the food they foolishly entered their area with.
Three generations. Apparently I look just like my dad with short hair!
Checking out the big lion prowling in front of the far window.
Very pale flamingos.
Autumn’s in the air.
We just caught the penguin feeding. This is just before the pool got overrun with sea-gulls, looking for easy food.
The last exhibit we looked at was the butterfly house. Of course it was so hot and humid that my lens completely fogged up, so I hardly got any good pictures of the awesome butterflies they had flapping around everywhere.
These huuuuge moths were not flapping about, just chillin on the trees. We were all flabbergasted at their size.
This butterfly pretends to be an owl!
Exiting the butterfly house.
Walking towards the Camden Town tube station. Looking at the canal that snakes by Regent’s Park.
Apparently they have canal-taxis! Don’t think these were taxis though.
Walking past a pretty church.
Some police offices with their dogs at a parking lot.
Dad giving Bjarki’s feet a break.
On the crowded tube towards Victoria station at rush hour. We met Finnur at the station and just barely caught the train going back home. It was so full we had to stand most of the way back, but we all survived.