Big Day In London

I woke up with a bit of a head cold on Saturday, but I knew I could not let that keep me home, not with such a big day in London ahead.

First I went to the Borough Market, which is almost solely about food.  I realized what a  non-foodie I really am when I got there.  I didn't know what you did with half the things that were being sold.  Cheeses everywhere.....

And England's favourite---meat pies--

And boy do they love their bacon--some of the saltiest  meat I have ever tasted, and my motto is never enough salt.

The market itself is under the train tracks near London Bridge station......

and right next door to Southwark Cathedral.  ( by the way, Southwark is pronounced "Suvok" here)

I did buy some fruits and vegetables--things I could recognize-- and brought them back to the flat.

Then I thought I would check out the demonstrations against government cuts to services--there was a big march from Victoria Embankment to Hyde Park.  But I felt like the Boston Marathoner who took the subway most of the route--I took the Underground to Hyde Park Corner.  There were lots and lots of people there--all very peaceful.  They appeared to be having a good time.

Later I learned that there were anarchist groups that had started making trouble later in the day--throwing bricks at the Ritz Hotel, occupying Trafalgar Square and destroying some items at Fortnam & Mason.  Now it's one thing to attack the Ritz, but FORTNAM & MASON?  One of the most beautiful and lovely stores in the world?  That's going too far.

I wanted to stay longer at the protests, but I felt like an interloper, and also I had to get the The Boat Race.  No more of a title is needed!  This is the annual scull race between Cambridge and Oxford down the Thames from Putney Bridge to the Chiswick (Chizik) Bridge.  In the center of the race is Hammersmith Bridge, where a lot of the spectators hang out.

There are people up and down the river bank.

And the occasional dog, who I was very worried about since the water gets very high at the end of the race when all the boats that follow the rowers go by.

For some reason I was less worried about the little kids who were on a tiny beach right next to this dog.  Here's what it looked like as the skulls came by.  That's Oxford in the yellow boat in the lead---- and at the end, that's the kids screaming as they got smashed by the waves.

In case you are interested, Oxford won by four lengths.  Now you would think a race like this would be more competitive than that.