Waitangi What!??!?!

We had a lovely weekend here! Sorry to tell you, but it was fairly warm (in the mid 50's) and sunny. Saturday we decided to do a walk around a new neighborhood we had not yet explored.

We headed toward our tube stop (it is about a 15 minute walk) and as we started approaching we were bombarded with hoards of people celebrating . . . something. We figured maybe a rugby game just ended? But then we realized they weren’t going anywhere; they were just hanging out in the street getting bombed. Everyone was drinking and going crazy (think St. Patrick ’s Day in college). I kept noticing the New Zealand flag and also t-shirts emblazoned with “I am not a Kiwi”. Ha! (Leanne, I tried to find one of those for you!)

We finally asked one of the officers monitoring the scene. After a little back and forth (darn that cockney accent! Sometimes we are not speaking the same language at all) we discovered that it was a New Zealand national holiday – Waitangi Day. Ah-ha! Check out these pictures of the debauchery:







As much as our inner college spirit wanted to join the party, culture called! Off to St. Paul’s Cathedral! Getting on the tube was not easy, but we did it. And thankfully we were going on a different line then the revelers (oh my we are old).

Both of our mothers gave us the same fabulous book - Walking London: 30 Original Walks In and Around London. It is a great guide for leisurely city walks and points out all the historical details that could otherwise be missed. We set out to do the Fleet Street and St Paul’s (The City West) tour. On our walk from the tube stop to the beginning of the tour, we passed a “50% off all suits” sign and it was all over. We ended up in there for awhile, but I have to admit Pat will now be quite a dapper bloke! It was getting late and we really only had time for one stop before heading home to catch the ND/Marquette game (what is the saying? you can bring a horse to water . . . ). We decided to hit Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese – one of the oldest pubs in England. There has been a pub on this site since 1538! And it was rebuilt after the great fire 1666. Here is a picture of us by the sign at the front door:



As we were hurrying towards the tube, we witnessed beautiful scenes of the sun just beginning to set over St. Paul’s. It was gorgeous and I promise mums, we will be back to do the whole tour!