Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Admittedly, St. Patrick's Day is not nearly the celebration in England as it is in the US. But they're working on it. The restaurants and pubs are still stuffed full with patrons and packs of inebriated college boys dressed in green and wearing ridiculous hats still roam the streets until all hours.

Michelle and I decided that, since we had been working so much and not really taking as much time to enjoy life as we should, we would enjoy the day as nature intended: Enjoying ourselves.

We hopped the tube into London and arrived in Piccadilly Circus, faces flushed with excitement, eyes sparkling with adventure. And here I pose in front of the famous lighted signs in frong of Cupid (He's up there. He just wouldn't fit in the picture.)

We then moved along to a mall to do some window shopping and try on silly hats. I decided I looked too much like the inebriated college kids and stayed with a small shamrock pin.

After our bit of shopping, we took our lives in our hands and clambered aboard a rickshaw that whisked us through the streets of London to Covent Garden. There was much female shrieking involved as our noble driver (peddler?) did his level best to get us killed by swerving out of traffic and narrowly avoiding every BMW on the street.

We finally arrived safe (if a bit breathless and dizzy) in Covent Garden where we toured the market stalls and shops before succumbing to hungar pains and heading for the nearest restaurant with the creative title of the Crusted Pipe. I didn't dare ask.

I must say I was not overly impressed with the food or the service, but the ambiance was superb. And the chocolate orange pudding cake was to DIE for! Ummmm Yummm! Warm and gooey and dripping with chocolate and clotted cream.

Outside the restaurant a string band (orchestra? sextet?) sent the crowd wild with their energetic renditions of classical pieces. We were both enamoured. Mish bought their CD.

After a bit of a wander to let our dinner settle, we ended up in Trafalger Square next to the British Museum of Art. It's an impressive building anytime, but at night with it all lit up, it borders on the fantastic

To end our perfect night, a friend of Michelle's (he owns a limo service) happened to be in London driving a client around. While waiting for the client to finish partying, he took us around in the limo on a night tour of London. FAB!