I have barely caught my breath after a marathon experience in London for the Royal Wedding.  But, Mrs. Moore and I are returning to England on the Queen Mary on 17 May.  We had booked this passage long before the Royal Wedding was announced so I am having a ping-pong travel spring–flying and sailing back and forth between England and the United States.  I have sailed in the Mediterranean, in the South Pacific, and through the Greek Islands over the years, but I wanted to experience Cunard’s greatest liner–the largest and most luxurious ship ever to cross the Atlantic under Cunard’s banner.  We are high up on the ship, so we are going to see a lot of water!  Excited to say the least!

Mrs. Moore and I are flying to New York for a few days of wandering through the great NY museums, eating at some of our favorite restaurants, and of course a play in the evenings.  We leave New York on 17 May, arriving in Southampton on 24 May.  We will be in London at home for 3 weeks and then leave for Paris for a ten-day patisserie exploration!  This trip to Paris is an effort to see old friends and revisit some of my favorite paintings in the Louvre.  We are staying in a flat very near Ile St Louis so we will be wandering around with camera in hand posting photographs of all that beautiful and picturesque stuff we call PARIS.

I would like to start a dialog about the Queen Mary 2 crossings.  I would like to hear from those who have been on the ship and also from those who might be considering a future passage.  I think the exchange will be helpful and exciting.  We will be posting on this blog as well as on our FACEBOOK.  I am really anxious for a lively exchange.   Helpful hints are always wonderful.

You will have my full attention.  I am always grateful for your comments and insights.  Many of you have become Blog and Facebook friends.  It is wonderful.  Thanks so much.

If any of my readers are on board the Queen Mary2 with us, please make yourself known.  Mrs. Moore and I would love to meet you.  We will be blogging about the crossing each day, so we would love to have others post their comments with us while on the crossing.

Exciting stuff.

Thomas Moore   email:  TMooreSr@me.com    Telephone:  801.791.9918

http://www.londonconnection.com

Tonight, Mrs. Moore and I have been organizing our winter and spring calendar of events.  Our quick trip to London for the events of 29 April is much in our minds.  But three weeks later, on the 17th of May, we will be sailing on the Queen Mary II with our lifetime friend June Gibson from New York to Southampton.  When we arrive in Southampton and during our London stay, we will be seeing our friends and attending all the events that London is known for during the last two weeks of May.  So, this evening, I went into my grandfather’s documents, letters, and artifacts to enjoy his diary entries about his crossing in 1907.  Among his things is a beautiful silver cigarette case enameled with a blue and white ensign.

My grandfather sailed on the Mauretania on its maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York on the 16th of November, 1907.  On the back of the cigarette case are my maternal grandfather’s initials beautifully engraved, so I know it was his case.  But, I am confused by the blue and white ensign.  Since the Mauretania was owned by the Cunard lines, I would have thought the ensign would have been red and white. Can anyone clear this mystery up for me?  I would like to know.

On the inside of the cigarette case, the ensign is one of the hallmarks in the silver, and the  other silver hallmarks date the case to 1907 London.  My grandfather crossed the Atlantic several times and on several different ships, but he always said this case was a souvenir of  his 1907 crossing on the Mauretania on its maiden voyage.

I am puzzled.  Any to the rescue?

Our fast April trip this year will to be photograph the Royal Wedding and to talk to the people lined on the streets and tucked in their warm sleeping bags assuring their front row view of this wonderful occasion.  For the first time, I have had a real desire to be there, on the street, chatting and participating in all the festivities.  I will blog about the events the whole time.  And in May, I will post articles about our Queen Mary II crossing from New York to Southampton.

I will do my best to make the articles I write about both events exciting and interesting to my readers.  I think it would be fun to have a group of people from the blog readership  meet up in New York and cross the Atlantic together next spring, talking about London all the way.

Let’s keep that in mind.

What a wonderful world!

Thomas Moore   email:  TMooreSr@me.com    Telephone:  801.791.9918

http://www.londonconnection.com