Andrea organized a dinner this evening for international students in Basel, and she wanted to know a passage from Hal Ashby's film "Harold and Maude" (1971) that I quote sometimes, so I found the scene in my download of the film and transcribed it for her – such a stunning performance by Ruth Gordon: "I don't regret the kingdom. What sense in borders and nations and patriotism? But I miss the kings. When I was a little girl, I was taken to the palace in Vienna to a garden party. I can still the sun shining, the parasols, the flashing uniforms of the young officers [...] But that was all before ..." (Andrew Shields, #111words, 21 November 2022)

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"What sense in borders and nations and patriotism?" A speech from "Harold and Maude"