Guy Fawk This

11-5-2008

Obama is president, meaning today was a day of celebration for all. So what better way to celebrate than with the ever popular Guy Fawks day!

Supposively Londoners commorate the foiling of his"Gun Powder Plot"every year on the day he attempted to destroy Parliment: November 5th, 1605. Fortunately, or as some think unfortunately, the 800 kg of gun powder was never lit, so Londoners celebrate the fact that he never got away with it. It's my understanding that many also celebrate the fact that he attempted anarchy, claiming that Guy (Guido) Fawks "was the only person to ever enter Parliment with honest intentions."

From what I've heard, the celebrations are many, across the city on the streets and in the sky with fireworks, everyone is up in arms about this day of rememberance. However, this wasn't quite true. There were fireworks, we heard them, but never saw them. We walked to all the famous sites that would hold a massive party (Parliment square, The London eye, Leicester square, Trafalgar square), but to no avail.

We'd walk to one point, hear bangs in the distance, and by the time we arrived to the sound's source, there was no fire in the sky. Then we heard more pops and sizzles in another direction, and we'd make our way in that direction and nothing. Each display seemed to go on for no more than 4 minutes tops, and when we did arrive from where it seemed the source was, there was no party. Disappointing to say the least.

But we didn't let it ruin our night....

After all, Barack was now our president. We had reason to celebrate. I walked around all night with two delicious bottles of fine Tesco champagne in my bag, and I was determined to put them down.


We stopped at Trafalgar square, climbed onto Nelson's Column (the monument that dominates the square), and drank to the future of America.



Later on we found a park. Not sure which park as it wasn't Hyde and it sure wasn't Regents, but it was one of the other hundreds of green spaces throughout the city. We drank another bottle there. I also was 5 seconds away from accepting a £50 wager to jump into whatever body of water was in this park. Don't judge me.... credit crunch is hitting everyone.

Look familar? I also got my favorite picture of iconic London landmarks but at night.