Princess for a Day

(Shout out to Tiffany Ann who facilitated my Buckingham Palace experience early-on by sending me the link to buy tickets...in February.)

• When you look at Buckingham Palace from the front gates, it looks like a really nice place.  You see the guards and the horses and all the shenanigans and think, yeah, nice place.  THEN you go inside Buckingham Palace.  Clearly, the Brits don't mess around when it comes to palaces.  Everything is magnificent and as tasteful as possible, given the mid-19th century remodeling/construction.  Ok so no, not tasteful, but definitely magnificent.  So ornate, so gilded.  And people live here. Today. Not like Versailles where it's just a museum.  Someone actually calls this place HOME.  I should probably ask Liz if she needs a roommie.  

• Speaking of ornate, Kate's wedding dress is...tiny.  Remember how they always said that if Barbie's dimensions were placed on a real woman, she would fall over? Yeah well, Kate needs to eat a sandwich.  Or 4.  It really is stunning though and there is a video on how it was made.  The phrase "artisan craftsmanship" was used about 50 times: hand-sewn lace, double canvasing of the train, etc etc.  I'm going to go out on a limb and assume David's Bridal doesn't employ any of said artisan crafters.

• While you can't take pictures inside the state rooms, you can take them of the garden outside.  Just like Will and Kate the day after their wedding, I strolled through the gardens.  Surprisingly huge, lush and so quiet.  In the middle of this loud, bustling city, it's like a little piece of royal tranquility.

• Must bring a blanket next time I choose to sit on the grass in Green Park to read.  I doubt Liz appreciated my damp, slightly muddy jeans walking around her crib.

• Birthday celebrations with 7 day old friends are just not as exciting.