Portobello Market, Music, St. Paul's, Parades, Fireworks & Remembrance Day.!

Thursday night Hannah was off to Oxford & Sara to Frankfurt. I hung out downstairs some and we went to the End of the World, then I went to another pub with Lindsay, Alyse & Danielle and we danced to some live music. Friday morning I went to Portobello Market & walked around Notting Hill. It was Sooo awesome.! Such a gigantic market with just about everything.! Antiques, jewelry, produce, books, food..! Too bad I don't have any money- but I had a great time walking around looking at stuff, trying on dresses & hats.. I saw the hummingbird bakery which I've heard good things about and seen the cookbook for, so I hadta check that out :P. Got a red velvet cupcake for later :) it was a cute place. I also bought an insanely delicious falafel for only 3 pounds, totally worth the wait for it..I'm going to hafta make it back there and get something other than food sometime..! I hadta rush back to make it to the flat in time to skype with Dad & Rhonda- that was nice to talk, and I was impressed they figured it all out.! That evening I went to the British Music Experience that Hannah had told me about. IT WAS SO AWESOME.!!! (http://www.britishmusicexperience.com/about-us/) first there's the a Gibson exhibition- Gibson through the Lens- of different rockers through the ages with their gibson :) Then, there's a gigantic room where you can play all these different instruments- I spent awhile there trying out different guitars, basses, pianos and glittery drums.! that alone was awesome, but then there were different sections from the 1940's to the present day with facts and memorabilia representing that time. So much stuff.!! The Beatles, the who, the clash, jimi hendrix, pink floyd, the smiths, the sex pistols, the rolling stones, def leppard, madness & so much more.! AHh.! all the way to Coldplay and Oasis. Ringo's jacket, a Jimi Hendrix outfit, several of David Bowie's outfits, 5 pairs of Elton John's glasses, half smashed guitars..! I bought myself a Beatles cookie tray. because it was cheap, I liked it, and I'm strange. That night I hung out w everyone still here this weekend downstairs for awhile, then ended up going to a pub with Karlyn, Dan & Dan's friends. It was a really cool place, but full of very strange people. Saturday was the Lord Mayor's Show, so I got up that morning and watched an awesome parade- strange to just watch one rather than be in one, but I enjoyed it. Walked around for a bit and browsed through some stores, then around Occupy London. Got interviewed by a random German lady. Went back out near the Thames for a huge firework show (to mark the end of the Mayoral year) with Karlyn, Lexi & Seana. I love fireworks.!!! SOoo much!! :) I had some pumpkin soup for dinner & watched the Inbetweeners waiting for Hannah to get back from her few days in Oxford. Hannah & I wore our retro 80's outfits out (crazy spandex leggings) that we bought at the thrift store the other day & Hannah mohawked her hair..and what a night of ridiculousity we did have.! We kept walking around trying to find people from our group but then decided not to, were slightly helpful with directions, found the collective guitarplaying love of our lives, and ended up back at Occupy London for a bit. Found Marvin & talked a lot with this awesome girl Mira from Napoli. :) It was a lot of random fun just sitting and talking, but got pretty cold & Hannah was ready to go to bed, so we found a bus back and WHO SHOULD BE at the busstop but Davey.. O_o he somehow didn't see our incredibly conspicuous selves even though we had to pass right by where he was sitting. Then, at the stop we had to get off at, he stood RIGHT in front of us for the longest red light of my life and we were both bent over cracking up & he never saw us..We ninja rolled off the bus so he wouldn't see us, but he somehow disappeared into thin air..strange. O_o This morning, Sunday, was Remembrance Day. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/remembrance/how/poppy.shtml) Hannah & I got up early to see the Queen lay a wreath on the Cenotaph- suffice it to say we were supposedly only hundreds of yards away from her majesty herself but even getting there early did nothing to help us through the massive crowds. We had to go through metal detectors and got stuck next to this obnoxious woman who kept telling EVERYONE around her "I've lost me husband! I've lost me husband & he's already yelled at me once today for getting lost! I can't budge through, I feel rude..and on top of that, it's me birthday today! I've lost me husband! I should just go home." on a continuous loop O_o..I almost pushed her through the crowd. Anyways, we got away from that to a slightly better place across the street. I saw the top of the royal cars driving away just barely, and then we clapped for LITERALLY 45 minutes straight for all of the Veterans that paraded past- that was really neat.! and crazy to think about how many people have served... Then Hannah & I went to hear an organ recital at St. Paul's this evening. The organist was amazing, not that I have much to compare it to, but he was only 23- Simon Hogan. The cathedral itself is really ornate and gorgeous inside too of course.