33 Degrees: The Pageant

Well now that was an experience. Looking back on the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Pageant, it's rain and Champagne; atmosphere and crowds, the cheering and row boats, it's enough to make you one proud little Brit.

It whizzed by! I have been looking forward to the Pageant on Mariquita since we were first invited to attend and there it is, gone and done. It was a fantastic few days on the Thames of London. Saw the Queen and her family. Got some heat inducing, blood moving Mexican waving in and good deal of cheering. The guys and gals rowing ahead of the Royal barge were fantastic to behold, dripping wet in the rain but most grinning from ear to ear and managing to pause enough to wave and cheer back. What sports everybody was! The fanfare, the orchestras and opera singers, all had the power, despite the oppressive weather, to send a shiver down ones spine. Awesome stuff and what a day to have a Birthday.

I am now 35 years old. It's proper official now that I'm a few days in. Oh well, onwards and upwards. We are about to embark upon our first regatta of the year on Mariquita, The Westward Cup , in Cowes. Today the wind howled and shoved the boat around on her mooring but I fear, having seen some forecasts, the actual regatta may be a light wind event. Not great when the courses have been set at around 30 miles each day. Exhausting.

Now I have posted pictures of my Jubilee/Birthday cake but will send the recipe another time. You'll only get bored, all the photos and then a whole recipe. However, I apologise because it was a very good cake. It was a lemon drizzle, custard and crumble cake with strawberries... have you heard of such a thing!? You have now. It was fab and four tiered and boy, did we deserve it having stood all day in the rain, soaked through, lips blue, calories burnt away in all that excitement, cheering and dancing. It took a good few slices to make up those lost calories I tell you. And much tea drinking.

So I shall leave you there with a few more pics of the Pageant. Tomorrow race crew will start to arrive for the regatta and the boat will be looking tip-top. I'll keep you informed.

Thanks for reading,

Cheers!