I'm a 47 year old retired lawyer from Canada. I'm blessed with good friends, family, and a passion to get as much travel and adventure in as possible. I have champagne taste. On a beer budget.
Woke up at 5:30 am and were in position by 6:30 am to watch the wedding. Were blessed to get two seats on a railing, 25 feet away from where the royal vehicles passed with unobstructed view. People around us were lively. Champagne corks popping - at 6:30 am. Points of interest: -prince Andrews daughter Eugenia wore a hat so tall she had to be on her knees in their car to and from the church -the diplomats and minor royals were shuttled to the wedding in very unattractive buses. Looked like a lot of high-heeled tourists on a trafalagar tour bus -prince William is much more attractive in person. -prince Phillip the queens husband really seems to like Camilla, Charles wife. They were laughing and smiling together. Sincerely. -Catherine was beautiful with amazing posture. Lots ... read more
The TV media are out in full force. Even people not interested in monarchy apparently want to see the wedding because it's a celebrity event. even MTV is here to cover it. Couple interesting things: -some poor couple is getting married on the Saturday at the abbey and have had to change their flowers and colour scheme for their wedding. Not bad to have Kate and Williams hand me downs however -the flowers and trees for the church are coming from the royal palaces gardens. After the wedding the trees will be planted at high grove -all it says outside the abbey is wedding Friday, by invitation only, in relation to the big event. You have to love how understated the British are -all the gold around big Ben etc has been polished . As has ... read more
Poor Susan didn't find a raincoat she liked, or could afford, at Harrod's. Nothing under $700 cdn and of course the one Susan picked out was over $2000 cdn.. It doesn't rain in Windsor Ontario where Susan is from enough to justify that price. I'm quite happy wearing my fake Burberry I had made at the tailors in china. The food court had things i'venever seen before. A watermelon with yellow insides. White strawberries that are fully ripe. Blueberries that have been bred with strawberries to make a sweet hybrid. Went over to Topshop where Kate moss had her fashion line. It's like h and m. Since I am not tall. Or willowy none of the clothes could I even try on. They'd all have to be hemmed 2 feet. Plus the 60's hippy look is ... read more
The locals I've talked to so far seem divided into two camps over the Royal wedding. If you're over 50 you're excited about the wedding itself. Under 50 - and you're excited the days been declared a bank holiday and don't have to go to work. It's hard to believe it's been 21 years since I lived and went to school here. Most of my university profs are now dead. The law firm I worked for has totally changed and is full of new people I don't know. It feels like going back to an old neighborhood you lived in. Your old house still looks the same. But you're sad someone you don't know who has moved in. You hope someone on the street will come out and make a fuss over the fact you've come ... read more
Flying premium class is always better when you know someone else on the same flight who is flying economy. And they are stuck in a seat where it's so small and doesn't recline very far they bitch about not getting any sleep on the flight. (when you slept 5 hours). and are pissed that the only good movies to watch were on the first three channels of the flight which are available to premium class only. And they didn't get enough food on the flight. Arrived safe and sound, and decided to pay to take Karen (a former co-worker who was on her way to holiday in morroco) with me to the priority pass lounge at the sofitel hotel at Gatwick so she could get some of the sorely missed food on the plane she was ... read more
In 2 days I'm off to England to be a spectator at the royal wedding. I was in London for the 50th anniversary of d-day and the Brits really seem to throw a good party. Meeting up with my friend Susan who is flying in from Ontario. Susan was my friend who was gracious enough to help me in July 2000 when I took my mother-in-law and grandmother (who was in a wheelchair) from Canada to have tea at buckingham palace and meet the queen. This blog thing is new to me. My biggest hurdle is trying to figure out how to post photos directly from my iPad to the blog. Everyone else seems to upload via camera wire to computer to their blogs. ... read more
