Mum's the Word

Good heavens! I feel sorry for William and Kate who arrived in Los Angeles yesterday at LAX. In fact, my heart goes out to anyone who comes into LA via that airport, particularly if it's a first visit to the area.

The most depressing views surround the airport no matter in what direction one travels. Within moments out of the airport's confusing maze, if heading into the Hollywood area on La Cienega Boulevard, the scenery becomes a vision of rugged, dusty hillsides, abandoned or working little rusty-looking oil pumps; roads in need of repair... If immediately whisked away via a freeway, it is still a desolate, ugly view -- full of concrete-everything and not very much in the way of visual enchantment to welcome one to The City of Angels. 

I'm sure William warned Kate that Los Angeles would disappoint on a visual level, considering that this trip is her first step on U.S. soil, and soiled it is in so many ways. Even the trek into Beverly Hills for an event at the Beverly Hilton Hotel had to have been a bit of a shock.

The location of the famed hotel is not very impressive despite its area code. It rests by a usually busy confusing jumble of intersections where more horn-honking occurs than anywhere else I have driven in the city for over 40 years. Lots of impatient drivers scurrying from Rodeo Drive shopping sprees, or cranking along from trendy West Hollywood gyms to get to the West Side on a variety of surface street options.

By the time the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge finally entered the Hancock Park home of Sir Something-Or-Other where another event awaited and where they are residing until fleeing the country on Sunday evening, I would think Kate may have felt more at home. At least the area is filled with lovely homes, green-green grass and well-manicured lawns -- although to get there one must again slug through various eye-sores despite a few blocks of Beverly Hills quasi-pomp and hotel-retail loveliness at the start if they were en route via Wilshire Boulevard.

Today William and Kate are in a much nicer section of California -- Santa Barbara -- for his much-touted polo match. It is a lovely town filled with historical architectural treasures, impressive ocean views, and a scent of civility from the horsey set up there.

Not that I'm unaware of how "down-to-earth" the newlyweds are (considering...) and must always be surrounded by roses, palatial views and people who know how to properly greet them with "Sir" and "Ma'am" (pronounced "Mum"); however, I recall my first adult impression of Los Angeles in the early 70's and my first instinct was to get the hell out of there and drive thee to San Francisco post haste. Everything looked ugly, dry, tacky. Alas, I had business to do and the trek to SF had to wait a week.

It is too bad that William and Kate won't have time to see the charming little spots that are hidden away throughout LA, which is why those of us who have a love-hate feeling about being here often remain.

But, duty calls -- they must dart from one event/appearance/fete to another within a breathtakingly short period of 48 hours. I wonder how Kate is holding-up? Thus far she has seems to be a good sport and shows no signs of wilting under the rigorous sed-ules.

However, once on the plane back to the UK I can only imagine her relief to kick off the heels, close the privacy curtains, and fall into a deep sleep until she awakes to the awareness that on every level it had been wise to wait for the big wedding date, as now she is officially part of the  "good will" tradition of showing-up at the oddest places with charm and aplomb -- the ultimate sacrifice of a Royal's Fate.