V for Vendetta

This blog is a little late but I have been really busy the past couple of weeks and have just barely had the time to catch up. Earlier this month though I visited a tiny village named Lewes (pronounced Lewis) about 15 minutes away that hosts a huge celebration for November the fifth. This is also known as Bonfire Night, Remember the Fifth, or Guy Fawkes Night. It is an annual festival that remembers Fawkes' failed plot to blow up the English Parliament building. We watched a parade that lasted over three hours and involved most of the town and many residents of the neighboring towns as well. If anyone has seen the movie with Natalie Portman, V for Vendetta, this is celebrating what was planned in the film. Some of the pictures are a little out of focus but the air was smokey and they are mostly action shots. There were pubs with special ales, loads of costumes and a lot of fire...



The boys in the pirate looking costumes pull the barrels on the ground between them in an annual race...






Alex decided to jump in to this one!

Sergeant Peppers and the Lonely Hearts! There were some costumes and floats that I didn't really understand but I loved this one so I had to add it.

The best views were from the apartments up above the street and there were a lot of people even sitting on the roofs. I really don't think that there was anyone at home on Bonfire Night unless they had a view from their window.

Ever wonder if English bbq's have hot dogs and burgers like the States? Think again...


This picture shows how many people participated in the parade if you look all the way down the road.

Yes, that is a real pig hoof in the middle of the condiments.










Mary Poppins really does live in England!


Thats all I can do for now but check back in a couple days for my Germany and Dublin pictures. I am hoping to get them up any day now...Cheers my dears.

Broken Social Scene and London at Night

London at night is incredible to view because all of the famous buildings and locations that you are already in awe of from having seen so often in pictures and in films are completely lit up and glow from miles away. Starting at the Westminster Cathedral, we walked around central London until our hands were freezing and our faces were flushed from the icy winds coming off of the Thames River. Its' dropping to the low 50's and 40's here so when looking at these pictures you may want to turn up your air con to get the full experience...!

This was the first place we visited so it was still light out. Westminster Church is the leading church in Britain and the Pope was here a few months ago!





Valet boxes in England are a little more traditional looking than just a plain box! I had to take a picture because I thought it was so cute...

Westminster Abbey

Big Ben at night is really a London landmark. You can see it from miles away and the way it is framed by the London Eye and the Parliament Houses makes the setting even more perfect!

If you walk out along the Thames River at night you can go aboard different dinner cruise ships that have full bars and restaurants floating on the water. The nights can get chilly with the breeze coming off of the water but it is worth a go every once in awhile for the view.


The next night we headed out to Covent Gardens for Broken Social Scene. We stopped at a little Japanese restaurant for dinner and I took pictures of all the origami for my cousin Logan to see because he is the origami master of the family. The rock fountain at the front was covered along with the walls and the sides of the stairs. All the little bright colors you see are different origami pieces!


The music venue for Broken Social. The venue was called Koko and was one of the largest I have ever been to. The giant disco ball made the red walls sparkle and even the guys in the band were impressed by the four storeys and size of the building.

Sunny Thoughts

This weekend tossed ideas I had about glum English weather out the window and gave us sunny skies with warm breezes. It was perfect, in fact, for a day at the beach. There were a couple brave individuals out in the water but it wasn't quite warm enough for a swimsuit and a tan...Even so, it was great being out under blue skies!











Jesse taught me how to skip rocks the right way! My way didn't really get any skips...




Nights are always the best when you can end them with a walk to the beach and some fish and chips wrapped in paper (the traditional way).