London, Day 5, Friday, July 15

Susanna, (Chou) works for Princess Anne at Buckingham Palace. She graciously offered to get us inside the gates, on the steps of the Palace to watch the changing of the guard. We were to meet among the throngs of tourist visitors outside the gates, but specifically the left gate as one faced it.

It was indeed a thrill! Palace rules dictated that all were to “Dress Smartly.” Men must wear jacket and tie. You will see a few pictures below of the “smartly” dressed Lorenc clan outside the gates. No pictures were allowed inside. When I received the email that Chou made the gracious offer to pull the Yanks inside the Buckingham gates for the pageantry I promised that “I, Michael, would in no way cause an international incident. At the same time I believe I used the word”intentionally”.  Nevertheless, I made no such pledge for the rest of our party.

The day was bright, sunny, warm and majestic! We stood on the steps of the Palace, eyes glued to the bands and the red and blue exchange of soldiers. All was smoothly progressing until my little brother became ill. We sat him on a pedestal on the top steps and he grew whiter than a nurses uniform. Susanna beckoned the attention of the Police and medical people in the area. Vic passed out. Not for long but long enough. A brilliant Policeman named  “Sam” said for me to help him inside. A doorman magically opened the doors to the left entrance as he spoke the very words.

Sam looked up at me lightly with a smile and said; “”You Yanks will do anything to get into the Palace.” He instructed me to help lay him on the carpeted floor of entrance to the palace. He proceeded to take his pulse, blood pressure and give him oxygen. All the while cheerfully bantering with Vic and me. Vic sweat soaked through his blue button down shirt and Sam untied his tie, unbuttoned his shirt, unbuttoned his pants, took off his shoes and shaved four small circles on his chest to attach ekg equipment. All the while lightly and rationally explaining how he was probably dyhydrated.  He was right. The ambulance came and checked him further, but his color came back and he eventually walked out on his own with MK and Chue.

My lasting disappointment was that I still could NOT take a picture of my brother, Victor, laying partially naked and disheveled on the floor of Buckingham Palace. Like a proverbial fish story, who at home would believe it!. Thankfully, Alex, MK, Cher, Susanna and thousands of others witnessed it as well.(Below is MK, Vic, and Chue walking passed the ambulance out the gate after he regrouped.)