Six years ago, Jeff and I hiked the Lares trek in the Peruvian Andes, culminating at Machu Picchu. It was one of the most beautiful hikes we’ve done and many of our happy memories are because of these two as our hiking buddies. We stayed in touch over the years so were thrilled to have a reunion with Sam and Andres in London while on our European vacation!
Over breakfast, we were making a plan to explore the city when Sam hesitated and then asked, almost sheepishly, “do you like, uhh, taxidermy?” LOLZ. His question gave us a good laugh but what Sam was trying to gauge was would we appreciate the quirkiness of the Horniman Museum. Of course we would. For those of you who haven’t heard of the Horniman, it’s a wonderful little museum in South London dedicated to anthropology, natural history, musical instruments and is known for its large collection of taxidermied animals. Perhaps the most popular exhibit at this museum is of a stretched and overstuffed Canadian walrus. Over one hundred years ago, only a few people had seen a live walrus so the taxidermist didn’t realize that they were naturally a little wrinkly. The walrus is a bit of a celebrity and has its own hilarious twitter account you absolutely need to read.
The museum and gardens opened in 1901 so naturally, everything is gorgeous. I’m so glad Sam and Andres picked this location for their photoshoot. We walked around the property and then ended the evening with a picnic and cocktails in the park! So wonderful to see you both again! Thanks for showing us around London! Let’s go on an adventure again soon! 😘