Charles Windsor was crowned king today and I learned a new word from the BBC World Service. Apparently, he was coronated. It was either an error by the presenter who didn’t know the word should be crowned or, as I said, it’s just a word I’ve never heard before. If the latter is true, then does that mean you can get coronated chicken?
Not that I paid any attention to the big bash in London, apart from the early, morning reports of royalists lining the route 13 days beforehand. And the general preparation on the radio. That was unavoidable. But the rest of the day was gloriously royals free.
No, I went for a lovely, long walk in the woods with the girls.
I was home alone because Mirinda had her first Swedish train trip when she travelled into Stockholm for her language class this week. After all the trains I’ve been on, it struck me as odd that she had yet to use one. To be fair, everywhere we’ve stayed so far has a bus (and/or ferry) into town, so it hasn’t been necessary. On the other hand, I travelled up and down the rail line last summer and then hopped on a train or eight to Amsterdam a few weeks ago.
Anyway, the upshot of her journeys in and out was that she loves the trains. So that’s a good thing given she’s going to catching them for the next four weeks.
And I loved the woods.
I kept veering off the main path in order to ‘get lost’. It was gloriously sunny and quiet. In fact, I only saw one other person: a woman in black with a white fluffy companion. We exchanged cheery ‘hejs’ then drifted apart. And that was it.
The girls spent the whole time off lead as we wandered aimlessly around and over boulders and in between trees.
Of course, each time I passed a cairn (three) I would add a stone or stick to it. I learned that lesson on Ekerö. It pays to appease the trolls. And, I can happily report that not only didn’t the trolls bother us but they also guided us back to the main track for our walk back to the house.
Never forget, a happy troll is a helpful troll.
Actually, if you type ‘coronate’ into a search bar, you’ll get a few meanings, one of which is ‘crown’. But, I rather like this one from Wordnik: “Girt about the spire with a row of tubercles or spines; — said of spiral shells.” I reckon that suits the monarchy of any country.
