To The Queen!

Today marks the 60th anniversary of the coronation of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. This follows last year's diamond jubilee celebrating her 1952 succession to the throne. The coronation took place 18 months later, on this day in 1953. Here in Fuengirola, there are a lot of transplants and tourists from Great Britain. So, Cafeteria Manila, our breakfast spot, hosted a "Coronation Lunch" to support a local British organization called "Age Care." The cafe is home to Age Care's drop-in "centre" (British spelling) and a host of clubs for locals and visitors — including a bridge club that sounds a bit too serious for San Geraldo's tastes and an American club that sounds a bit too, well, American, which is not what we moved to Spain for. Besides, there are so few Americans here in Fuengirola that I think most weeks no one even shows up.

ELIZABETH II AND SAN GERALDO EL REY. DISTANT COUSINS.
SO DISTANT THAT THERE'LL BE NO LUNCH FOR US AT THE PALACE... EVER.

Oh, yeah, the coronation lunch. San Geraldo and I didn't attend — "The Colonies" having escaped British lunches nearly 237 years ago. Anyway, we weren't even invited. But I did manage to snap a couple of photos with my phone while we waited for our breakfast to be served. You can spot our eggs, bacon, and toast getting cold in the kitchen while two members of Cafeteria Manila's team, Slushie and Richard, pose for a photo in their formal anniversary hats.

DOWNSTAIRS DECORATED FOR LUNCH WITH LIVE COVERAGE OF THE FESTIVITIES BACK IN ENGLAND.
MY APOLOGIES FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN SUN GLARING OFF THE REAR MIRROR...

"SLUSHIE" AND RICHARD (HE'S THE MATURE ONE ON THE RIGHT)
IT'S GOOD THEY MOVED TO SPAIN. IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO THE BRITISH EMPIRE.