Queen's Jubilee, from France

The Gloriana, Renaissance replica manned by star oarsmen (and women) I am not a royalist, but when I was in London a few weekends ago I bought some jubilee bunting because it was so pretty, and today seemed like a good day to put it up. As I was hanging it along the balcony, I looked down and saw one of my British neighbors all dressed up with a red union-jack sash and blue skirt. "Going to the embassy party!" she said. "Dress code is red-white-and-blue. I think I'll do, don't you?" "You don't have to be British to love the Queen!" I said. My visitors from London were watching the coverage on two different screens-- one the BBC, and the other France 2 which featured Karl Lagerfeld. Everybody wanted to feature him after his hilarious coverage of the royal wedding last year, but there wasn't as much he could say about a flotilla of boats. "I didn't know it would be such a big deal, or I might have stayed in London this weekend," said one of the Germans. "The French must be so jealous."  British scene: The multi-ethnic choir of the Royal Philharmonic, soaking wet, belting out "Land of Hope and Glory" with smiles on their faces