Ciaotraveler

Kate's evening attire on her wedding party. As simple chic wedding for a Royal couple the  Duke and Duchess of Cambridge                                                                                            Harrods and an Alexander McQueen cluctch

There will be 200 Guards on horses along the route procession...my photo has this  horse distracted which is frowned upon.... The Royal Route for the Prince and Princess According to plans, the route will be similar to Diana and Charles' wedding in that it will proceed from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace through the Royal Gardens .  Kate and Will are marrying at Westminster Abbey  because of it's historic beauty and high altar while Diana and Charles were wed at St. Paul's Cathedral to accommodate more guests.   Hyde Park and Trafalgar Square will be the venues for large jumbo-tron screenings of the entire wedding for the locals on the streets.  Kate will use the same gold carriage after the wedding that Diana and Margaret used.

Guess who enjoyed this wedding cake?  Scroll to bottom to see.. The Royal Cake Crafter Selected by Kate and Will and Other Famous Wedding Cakes

Some words about Diana The essential little black gown....Diana was said to be a perfect size 10 and 5'10" tall.

Garrard Jeweler of London  The Crown Jeweler  and an American Presidential connection... Princess Diana's selection of an engagement ring was unique, but her ring is actually a part of Garrard Jeweler's catalog . That means anybody that had $65,000 during that time could purchase the ring.  Garrard Jewelers created lovely rings and she chose an oval sapphire of the bluish hue. It was an 18-carat engagement ring with 14 smaller diamonds on the side, forming an elegant and very elaborate setting.    Diana's choice of jewelry caused a stir both in the royal family and the concerned public. It wasn't especially crafted for her and it is not even a diamond ring. However, because it was Diana's choice, it became the couple's symbol of commitment to each other.   Kate is using the same ring and hopefully she and Will will live happily ever after.

                                            DESIGN: ARTSY WORKSPACES Where the artists and crafters create... their spaces can be as creative as their talents. continue...

Table S capes

                                                                                   My Limoncello from Sorrento and Tuscany Limoncello... Diane Lane enjoying homemade Limoncello in the movie, "Under the Tuscan Sun" Limoncello is a fabulously refreshing desert liquor from Italy.  Limoncello is as popular in Italy as chocolate is in the USA.  But it's  reported that Sorrento/Naples  grown lemons are the best to use for this liquor.   Everyone grows lemons and some are  are almost as big as grapefruits!  Their scent fills the air. Interestingly, limoncello at its best offers mixtures of lemon, lime and marine scents. Nowadays limoncello is made in most parts of Italy, but the Sorrento version remains the most fascinating example.   The Italians  use grain alcohol however, it's not allowed in many States in the US.   Therefore, recipes  typically use vodka as the liquor base.   In Sorrento, I saw Limoncello in Vanilla, Lemon and Orange flavors. 

Austria, Switzerland, Germany A vintage shot of my sister, Lin, where we stopped to snap this photo in Austria. We were lucky to travel through 9 countries during our first summer to Europe. Its very easy to travel on one pass and cost via the Eurail.  Here is the route we made and the link to the Eurail system...   Rome to Rio is an excellent source now for planning your routes or time schedules. http://www.eurail.com/planning/railway-map Our route for our first trip to Europe. We chose London-Paris-Brussels-Liechtenstein-Germany-Austria-Switzerland-Italy-French Riviera towns-Spain and return to Paris. The terrain is gorgeous along the train rides between Germany, Switzerland and Austria.  I've misplaced some of my photos of these areas but will add more as I'm able..    Heidleberg, Germany is a beautiful city on the river with a lovely castle.                                                                         

This very unique signage was especially added to the Eiffel Tower in honor of the year 2000 for the Millenium celebration.  "J-283" means there are 283 days (jours) until the year 2000.   I visited Paris again in the same year so it reads "J-58"--58 days (jours) until 2000. Unfortunately, I didn't have the correct camera for night photos. I think the photo underneath the Eiffel Tower truly shows the magnitude of it's size. I brought this back from Paris...it shows how most sites are within walking distance.  Paris Opera House  Notre Dame on the Seine River The Ritz Carlton, where Princess   Diana and Doty spent their last evening.  You can walk from the Eiffel Tower to these wonderful gardens at the Louvre. The Louvre Museum gardens and buildings  The Louvre Museum  The King Tut mime in the middle of the road is very common near the Louvre...here is a larger photo.   This mime stood the entire day we were there.                     Basket by