Guy Who?

Today is Guy Fawkes Day, the day on which Brits celebrate the failed plot (of Guy Fawkes) to blow up Parliament in 1605. Oddly, the way they celebrate is by creating as many explosions as possible, mainly with fireworks and bonfires. Even more odd is the fact that it is apparently legal here for anyone to set off fireworks wherever they wish, and whenever, which means that for 3 or 4 weeks people set off fireworks randomly. Several times I have heard and seen fireworks in the street just outside our flat. At work it means we have to stock higher than normal quantities of anti-anxiety drugs and sedatives, as anyone who has ever had a dog with a firework phobia can appreciate that this is a trying time for them. Even Buggy, who is not normally bothered by fireworks, gets a bit tense when they are right outside the window. It's another interesting experience for me - instead of heartworm season and allergy season like at home, here we have firework season.

On the weekend we took advantage of the great entertainment and cultural opportunities in London and took ourselves off to another show - a play this time, not a musical. We saw Rain Man, a stage adaptation of the famous movie, starring Josh Hartnett and Adam Godley. It was excellent. We went to a matinee this time, mainly because Saturday night tickets are hard to get for this newly opened show, which then gave us time for a leisurely supper in Leicester Square after. It was what I think of as a typical London evening, a bit cold and raining, with everyone huddled together under their umbrellas but not letting it faze them.

My coworkers are my go-to people when I need information on "things London". They tell me that the weather we're currently experiencing is fairly typical winter weather - it has been fluctuating between about 2C to 10C with some wet days and some not. If this is as bad as it gets I can handle this! However, it also gets dark at 4:30 and when it's raining the cold soaks right into your bones, so we'll see how I feel by the end of the winter. The girls at work have been complaining about how cold it is, but I've been keeping my mouth shut. Conversely, it snowed last week - the first time it has snowed in London in October since 1934. It seems to follow me wherever I go. Of course it didn't stay, and I know that at home it snowed 20cm the same night, so still no complaints here.

We've just passed the 5 month mark since we arrived here, and feel like we've done lots but still have so much to do. Next up, as you know, is the trip to Berlin and the Christmas markets. After that we have the PetParents coming for New Years, and then hopefully a ski trip in January. Now we need to plan something for the spring! (Can we say Italy?)