March 11, 2003 - page 3

I was foiled again Saturday in my ongoing quest to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. The elaborate ceremony takes place every other day at 11:30 a.m., and I picked the wrong day – for the second time, I might add – even though I thought I had the schedule figured out. I trust that it will work out eventually. Determined to take advantage of the setting and the decent weather, though, I walked across the street to St. James’s Park, where I wandered for a good two hours. The world-renowned parks system here is a real pleasure, a welcome refuge from the otherwise fast-paced life of the central city. It makes the balance between work and genuine relaxation so much easier to strike.

I’ll see you on the other side of a one-week hiatus.