It turns out that Charles and Camilla will be spending half of their American visit in the San Francisco Bay Area: a grand total of four days. Frankly, I don't spend much time concerned with matters related to the Battenburg family, or the Windsors as they call themselves since emigrating from Hanover to London, but the San Francisco Chronicle has published a helpful itinerary.

It turns out they are visiting Bolinas, Berkeley, and a homeless shelter in San Francisco. In fact, I have a view from my house of one the sites they will visit, the Alice Waters—founded Edible Schoolyard, a worthy project, as it happens. I will keep my eye open for signs of the Royal entourage.

All in all, there is a definite aging hippy aspect to their choice of excursions. What ever happened to Muir Woods, the Asian Art Museum, the Golden Gate Bridge, and other tourist bait? There's something quite amusing to me about royals coming to Berekely, where "the streets belong to the people" and royal reserve is not much evident.

Thomas Lifson  11 04 05