Pond Jumpers: July 2009

It was that time of the year again in London. The weather changes and people actually come out of their house. What's even better is that they actually look you in the eye when you pass them on the street. Somehow, sunshine has the power to make Londoners seem mildly cheerful and though it's only for a fleeting moment, they're actually glad to see others sharing the sunshine. Usually you get the cold hard stare implicitly saying "Get out of my bloody way, I'm in a hurry!" (and a note to all you future London travelers...saying "Excuse me" is not the proper term when accidentally bumping into a Brit...even if they bumped into you...you must say "Sorry"...otherwise they think you're telling them off).

Despite the majority unfriendliness of those on the pavement (that's a sidewalk for all you Americans), occasionally you may run into someone that says hello. They're generally American. Or a Canuck (Dave, that was for you!). Or German. Even FRENCH!! But hey...beggars can't be choosers and at least I get a hello back from time to time. I refuse to lose my American-want-t0-make-at-least-eye-contact-with-passersby so whenever possible I try to say hello to those I recognize and even some I don't because it's sort of fun to watch them squirm a little.

Where was I going with this? Oh yea...I supposed to be writing about the Royal Ascot this year. So while we may not all get along on the pavement, you're guaranteed to have a good time at the races. Specifically The Royal Ascot. Perhaps it's the copious amounts of alcohol that lends to the overall joyousness of the occasion. Or maybe it's the general camaraderie because you're probably all going to pick the wrong horses and lose your shorts. The more I think about it...it's definitely because of the alcohol. If you're interested in trying some of the Ascot fare, make a pitcher of PIMMs No. 1 and you'll get a little dose of England in it's refreshingly old school form. Here's the recipe...(www.thedrinkshop.com will deliver if you're just dying to try it)

Take one slice of orange, lemon, apple, cucumber
per person and one sprig of mint and
add to two parts lemonade to one part Pimms.

I went with some friends two years ago and had a really good time. We laughed, we drank and I even won a bunch of money...it was fabulous. So this time around, I thought maybe it was time to spread the cultural revelry to other parts of my family. Matt jumped on board (okay, maybe he was pushed and prodded) and then we decided to let Avery join in the fun. We would have liked to bring them all but in the end decided against it. Anders would have just been an anchor (harsh...yes, but you all know it's true!) and Sloane would have managed to get herself onto the track and run over by the horses...then we would have felt bad. So, it ended up, just the three of us.

We had a spectacular time. Avery dressed up to the nines and even had her own high heels and a fascinator (head piece that's sort of like a hat but generally much smaller and just a clip in).

Matt was incredibly dapper in his morning suit (top hat and tails to my American friends) which I convinced him was the mandatory dress code for our tickets. SUCKER!!! To be fair, he checked online before the day and learned that it wasn't mandatory but he didn't even mention that he knew better until after race day. SUCH a gentleman, don't ya think?

Avery heading into the races

My enormous hat...in every sense. I LOVE IT!

Well, Avery managed to score one of the best seats in the house, wave to the Queen, choose a winning horse and get her picture taken by a professional Ascot photog because she was so freakin' adorable! Matt and I managed to get blisters on our feet and lose all our money on crummy horse choices but we wound up with some memories that will last a lifetime. If you ever get the opportunity to go, you should jump at the chance...it's well worth the horrendous traffic, jubilant drunks, the rain (if it's typical London weather) and ultimately, the immediate drain on your resources.