Happy New Year!!

It has been overcast and intermittently rainy the past few days. Our plans were just to stay hunkered down in the flat over New Years. We had 3 or 4 football games taped and ready to watch. It is easy to do that here and you really don't have to work hard not to hear the scores of the games you have taped. American football is not really on the radar. We had some chocolates from Belgium left and other assorted goodies. We were set.

There was a big celebration on the Thames. Fireworks etc at midnight. But they expected thousands of people and it wasn't my idea of a fun evening to be pressed among the thousands and possibly thrown up upon. Plus with the forecasted rain and fog, we weren't sure how visible the fireworks would be.

Around 11 p.m. we noticed the sky was pretty clear and we could see some stars. So we (Snake, Chizz and I - Kiki was at a party) decided to walk up to Primrose Hill and see if we could see any fireworks at all. Primrose Hill is not too far from our house, about a 10 minute walk. It is home to Jude Law (haven't seen him yet but I AM looking), Gwyneth (when she is in town) and a cute downtown area. Also, Primrose Hill is the location of a scene in 101 Dalmatians. Remember when the dogs are looking for the puppies and they start the "barking chain"? The dogs go up to a big hill that overlooks all of London and start barking. That hill is Primrose Hill.

On our walk up to Primrose, we could tell by the throngs heading up there that this must be a popular location for fireworks. People were streaming up in big groups, parties interrupted to go watch the fireworks. It was hard to tell exactly how many people were there because it was so dark, but I am guessing there might have been close to 1000. It was clear and we could see the London Eye perfectly since it was outlined in pink and blue lights. Right at the stroke of midnight the fireworks began and we could see them perfectly. The fireworks went on for about 10 minutes.

After the fireworks were over, we started to leave the park but then people starting setting off their own fireworks. It is legal to buy fireworks here and most of the grocery stores sell them. The quality of fireworks you can buy in the store here is amazing. Not quite fair ground but pretty darn close. This picture to the left is one of the Primrose Hill launched fireworks. We watched a "fireworks war" between two groups for a few minutes. It was pretty spectacular with the fireworks being right over our heads.

So many times we talk ourselves out of doing things. It would have been so easy to stay home that night, warm on our couch, watching football eating chocolates. But if we had, we would have missed the fireworks experience. I think we have found a new tradition for New Years Eve. Happy New Year and here's to a great 2007!