I'm on maternity leave for the summer, but I read this article and loved it! Having traveled with school groups for many years, so much of this rings true...
Oh, I love a good wedding! As a little girl I watched the weddings of Diana and Charles and Andrew and Fergie. But now as a married woman, watching the wedding uniting Prince William and HRH Catherine, I was particularly moved. What a way to begin a married life together -- under the gaze of billions of people and with all the pomp and circumstance that the British muster so well. Personally, I thought it was beautiful!
If I wasn't so pregnant, I would have gone to London just to be in the crowd and to enjoy the festivities of the day. My lucky cousin, Elizabeth, is there, and I'm anxious to hear how her experience has been! But with the miracle of modern technology -- and, thankfully, a DVR -- I watched the wedding and enjoyed every moment.
I have a special fondness for Westminster Abbey, and I'm not sure it has ever looked prettier. The trees -- English Field Maples -- running down the aisle were absolutely brilliant! And for those of you who have never been to Westminster Abbey, they give you a sense of scale. After all, the trees are 20 feet tall, and they don't even come close to touching the chandeliers in the Abbey.
Getty Images
I must say, I was a bit disappointed in the commentary on ABC. At several points Barbara Walters mentioned the wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles and gave the impression that their wedding also took place at Westminster Abbey. It did not. They were wedded at St. Paul's Cathedral across town.
Also disappointing was the fact that ABC did not bother to announce or caption the musical selections during the worship service. The music was particularly beautiful, too. After all, if you get a choir and an orchestra and several corps of trumpeters, your musical selections can be quite stellar! Plus, the music included two pieces commissioned particularly for the wedding: "This is the Day" by English composer, John Rutter, and "Ubi Caritas" by Paul Mealor, a Welsh composer.
For me, the greatest musical moment was HRH Catherine's entrance into the church -- Charles Parry's setting of Psalm 122, a piece I have loved for many years.
Oh, and I really love the song "Jerusalem"which you might recognize from the movie "Chariots of Fire" -- indeed, the movie gets its name from the song's line, "Bring me my chariot of fire!"
The words are taken from a poem written by William Blake and set to music in the early part of the 20th century by Sir Hubert Parry. Contrary to what the LA Times blogger, Marcia Adair, wrote this morning, it is not "most often sung at cricket matches." In England it is akin to "My Country 'Tis of Thee" or "God Bless America" -- a secondary national song (second only to "God Save the Queen"). It is sung in schools and churches across the country, especially on St. George's Day, the day celebrating the patron saint of England.
Catherine's dress was beautiful. The princes looked dashing. And thousands and thousands of words have been written (and even more blathered on TV) about the hats and the guests and the jewels and the tiara and the coaches and the cars... but I must say, in it all, this is my favorite moment of the entire wedding... and it took place long after the royals had all gone off to smooch at Buckingham Palace:
What joy!
Photo courtesy of Oprah.com
While we may not have been invited to the wedding or the parties afterward, there's nothing keeping you from having a bit of the groom's cake. Oprah has published the recipe -- evidently one of Prince William's favorites, according to his former chef, Darren McGrady.
Last summer I ate my way through the San Francisco Street Food Festival which was FABULOUS! Well, if you are in Sacramento this weekend, you have a chance to take part in the fun... just head over to Fremont Park on Saturday afternoon. SactoMoFo is taking over the park, and you'll have a chance to enjoy the best of Sacramento's food truck cuisine as well as some of San Francisco's best who are bringing their wares to the Delta.
Where: Fremont Park (16th and Q) in Sacramento When: Saturday, April 30 (Noon - 6 pm) Cost: Just pay for what you eat -- there's no admission charge. Tip: Bring cash! Some food trucks take credit cards, but cash makes everything easier.
Who to look for?
There are many Sacramento-based food trucks headed to the festival including The Miniburger Truck and Drewski's Hot Rod. But also look out for some of SF's finest who will be driving up.
My faves?
Spencer-on-the-Go: this food truck is often parked on my block and serves French food including escargot and the most amazing truffle burger... OMG! And save room for the chocolate pudding -- a real, honest-to-God steamed pudding. Yum!
Chairman Bao:this truck also often sets up shop across from my apartment. If you like fabulous steamed buns filled with pork and other yummy goodness, you'll LOVE Chairman Bao. I love the pork buns, but I've never been disappointed by the Chairman.
