Back in the summer, the Shans went to the Natural History Museum in London -- somewhere I've visited many times over the years, and never yet tired of.

The first photo captures Mrs Shan and our son Dante posing beneath the (in)famous Dippy skeleton -- this was taken BEFORE Mrs Shan let slip that this was actual a replica of the dinosaur and not the original bones, a bit of info that infuriated Dante and sent him storming from the hall, muttering angrily to himself about being taken for a mug by The Man!!!!

Dante is very keen on gemstones and fossils, so he was in his element when he found the little beauty in the second snap.

Gaia and I check out the bones (or are they?!?) of a blue whale in the museum's glorious Great Hall (its correct name is Hintze Hall, I think), whose architecture is always a highlight of a visit for me -- not that you'd be able to note that from this particular photo, as I appear to have fallen asleep with my young charge on my shoulders!!

Finally, Gaia gets to meet some bugs, and lets them know that when it comes to relations between herself and them, it's a case of "Peace, (ant)man!!!" :-) :-) :-)