We were up and out the door shortly after 9 AM. We started out the day doing the markets--Petticoat Lane, Brick Lane, the Sunday Up-Market (love that name), and a quick pass-through of Spitalfields. Saw lots of cool things but didn't buy much--except a five pound ring and some soaps (similar to Lush). Brad tried on a suit jacket that came with a removable hoodie(!) and it fit him perfectly. The only drawback was the 135 pound price.

From there we went down to the Imperial War Museum, which actually is a very impressive museum. In addition to the expected tanks and aircraft and guns (of little or no interest to me), the focus was on the human side of war. We started on the top floor devoted to Crimes against Humanity, with a powerful 30-minute film and computer touch screens. It was difficult and, indeed, was not recommended for children under 16 years of age.

We then went down to The Holocaust Exhibition on the next level where we spent over two hours. It was very well done, beginning with the political and social climate leading up to Hitler's dictatorship and explaining how the persecution began. There was video footage throughout each section, with Holocaust survivors speaking firsthand about their life before the Holocaust, the beginnings of their mistreatment and degradation, then the ghettos, the transfers to the concentration camps, separation from family members, life in the camps, the end of the war. There were photographs and artifacts, including letters that people had written en route to the camps, throwing them out through slits in the trains with the hopes that someone would apply postage and mail them.

We were pretty drained after that, but managed to take in a few things on the lower floors, including the exhibition The Children's War, which gave an idea of what it was like for children during the Blitz. There was a replica of a typical 1940s house in Kent that you could walk through. And the Trench Experience that gave somewhat of an idea of life in the trenches, and the Blitz Experience which gave a similar idea of being in a shelter during the relentless bombing of London. There was a whole section on espionage which we didn't do, and an exhibition on war posters and propaganda entitled Weapons of Mass Communication that was similar to the one at The Tang and also in Ottawa two years ago, Weapons of Mass Dissemination: The Propaganda of War.

It was a long, tiring day but we covered a lot. Another full day is scheduled for tomorrow.