Diamond Jubilee - I was there

I was hoping to share some great pictures from the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant floating down the river today. However, this is as close as I got to the river. Not a great view of the flotilla, a fantastic view of the backs of people's heads and their flags though. Yes, even I dared to attack this madness. And madness it was but definitely worth undergoing.

It seems to be a rule that whenever there is some occasion in the UK, the weather decides to make its mark. It was grey and cold, later also accompanied with rain. However this did not deter people from sharing their enthusiasm. There were people and people and people everywhere, as you can see at the picture on the left.

However, the atmosphere was so magical. Everybody was well-tempered, joyful, smiling. Indeed, the Queen has managed to bring people together. And this is only London. What about the rest of the UK and the world?

One more picture to share. This is how London celebrates. With lines of flags and a sea of white red and blue everywhere one looks. Such neat formations, such pride.

I am not English but this feeling is catching. Standing in the middle of it all and having been bombarded with various documentary programmes about the monarchy over the past few days somehow turns something in an individual. I personally felt that I had to be present at such occasion even though I new that I will not see a thing. 'Since I am here, I need to be present' was my belief.

Having said that, we escaped a bit earlier so that I could see the finale on the screen of my TV, with a hot cup of tea at a cosiness of my home. What a day. I soaked the English pride, I was there.