Last night we heard that the Sailor’s Bar would be showing the Royal wedding. After a couple of days getting more laundry done and running diagnostics on the ship’s batteries (more to come, you’ve been warned!) we decide it’s time to connect to the outside world and we dinghy over to watch Harry and Meghan get married.
The guy running the bar is bemused, but very accommodating and finds the BBC World Service live stream, which he puts on the big TV at the front. There’s a lively discussion between the greek regulars about monarchy, money, power, tradition vs modernity. It’s all very friendly and, whatever their views, they’re soon all watching with us.
We start slowly – John has a cappucino and I have homemade lemonade with crushed fresh strawberries and mint – it’s refreshing and deliciously tart. We’re hopeless at recognising celebrities, and it’s not much help to us when the sound comes on and we’re given names we’ve never heard of! James Corden and John Major are about all we manage to spot for ourselves.
We move on to white wine and beer before the start of the actual service (2pm our time) and are tucking into club sandwiches before the vows are made. It’s all a bit surreal, with passing motorcyclists stopping to chat to the staff and customers, and much surprised discussion around us at the ethnic diversity of the event.
When Charles and Diana married, I was in Andalucia on an archaeological dig, and watched the events on TV there, surrounded by young spaniards very taken with the whole spectacle. This time, the event and the company both feel more real.
We drink a toast to our new Duke and Duchess of Sussex – it’s as good a reason as any – and agree we should hoist our Sussex flag aboard LouLouDitsi.