Bloody Brilliant!

Whoop it up for Kate and Wills

It's funny how the energy of a place changes and you can literally feel things 'in the air'. This week London has been invaded by more tourists than I've ever seen - which is saying something as I live in the West End, also known as tourist central. The funny thing I've noticed is the totally divided opinion among people who live here about the Royal Wedding. Most of the Brits I know could not care any less about it - in fact, they are all leaving town.

So much for national pride.

While I absolutely hate crowds of any kind (humanity at it's worst is any gathering of more than two people, i say) I admit to looking forward to hanging out in Trafalgar Square tomorrow morning to soak up the atmosphere. I have even imported a fellow American to join me for the festivities.

Make no mistake, I think people who camp out and endure all manner of discomfort in an attempt to get close to 'the happy couple' are bonkers. Armed with a flask of Bloody Marys (to ward off the chill, that's all), my friend and I will see what we find in the crowd. And as for Kate and William - I wish them all the luck in the world.

Really.

Some people collect the strangest things...

I have been in the UK for almost five years, and I'm rather ashamed that it's taken me this long to get to the Cotswolds.  It's a beautiful part of the country, and it is exactly what us Americans imagine when we think of the stereotypical idyllic English countryside.  We visited a somewhat bizarre place called Snowshill Manor, which dates from the middle ages (is 821 considered the middle ages? it's old, anyway).   The building is supposedly haunted by some ghosties, one in particular who is named Jeffrey and lives in the kitchen.  He chose not to grace me with his presence, which I found quite rude.

This place is strange because it was bought by a wealthy old eccentric guy named Charles Wade, who collected all manner of stuff and displayed it here. There are samurai outfits, sketches, a load of old bicycles, costumes, and on and on. It is, quite frankly, creepy. It doesn't help that the light is kept low and the shades are drawn, for 'atmosphere.' But I suppose the world needs eccentrics, just to keep us all slightly off-balance.

When a tomato is so much more...

Walking along the street in London is always good for a laugh, especially now that the sun is shining like a great big shining thing making everyone outrageously happy.  Pub owners with a sense of humor are my favorites, especially when they display such superb good reasoning that it's hard to argue with them. I mean, why would you?  Particularly when a bloody mary is at stake.