Day 7 - Windsor

I’m beginning to write this again from the train from London to Chester.  I just plowed through that Oxford post.  I’m glad this is giving me the opportunity to catch up on writing.  If there are significant delays with the posting, please keep in mind that going through all my pictures, selecting them, and formatting the post takes almost as much time as the writing.

Day 7 – Windsor

Getting off at the Train Station, Castle

Windsor!  I loved Windsor!  We only spent a day there, but I was enthralled.  Immediately upon exiting the train, I looked right and BOOM!  The castle is right there!  Right there!  Absolutely splendid.  We disembarked from the train platform, and were surrounded by nice shops and boutiques.  We took a few wrong turns, but finally made our way to the B&B, and were greeted by an absolutely lovely lady. 

-Interruption: OH MY GOSH SHEEP!  The train just passed by fields of sheep, and a little stream with a bridge over it!  Cute!-

Our Hostess, Dee, was very warm and welcoming.  We felt very comfortable, there.  In the lounge area, there was a framed overhead photograph of Windsor Castle.  I took a picture of this photo, because I know I won’t have the opportunity to capture the castle the same way otherwise.  We headed off into the market area, with the intentions of getting some lunch before headed up to the castle.  We were not disappointed.  There was an extremely long vendor’s booth, with Italian foods ranging from olives to nuts to fine pastries.  It was all sold by weight, so Matthew and I pick and choose from the spiced almonds, smoked cashews, European macaroons (different than what we call macaroons) and other baked goods.   We may have had a disproportionate amount of sweets versus nuts.  

Market booth with tasty things

We walked around, looking for a place to sit.   It took us awhile to find somewhere, because the place was packed with people. Across from the booth we enjoyed, is a Thornbury’s chocolate shop.  I noticed one of these in Bath (but it was closed) and was pleased to find another.  It appears to be a chain, similar to our Purdy’s.  Mum can expect some treats from here once I settle down in Leeds. Eventually we came upon the Long Walk, (which is indeed, very, VERY long), and noticed that there was a car show going on.  We picked a tree along the Long Walk, and had our picnic there.

European Macaroon

We then made our way to the castle, and waited about half an hour in the line to buy tickets.  The couple in front of us were dressed rather inappropriately, which is what lead to the inside joke from two posts ago, “You’re dressed too trashy for the Queen’s residence!  She’s crying in shame!”

We eventually made it to the ticket counters, and I discovered that there was something I needed to attend to back at the B&B.  Fortunately, the man said that I could buy a ticket, and then skip the line when I return.  When I did return, (about 20mins later) the lineup had completely vanished.  There was no one there but me.

Now, I’m very confused as to why you are not allowed to bring scissors or knives or anything sharp into the castle.  You might think this is obvious, but I would like to point out that within the castle, there were sharp swords, hanging on the walls within arm’s reach. I don’t understand anything anymore.

Proud, Dignified Statue of Queen Victoria outside Castle

I absolutely loved the castle.  I’m not even sure where to begin.  Unfortunately, photography was not allowed within the rooms, so I only having pictures of the castle walls and towers.  I was touring around near closing, so there was a security man ushering a group of us through the rooms, giving us brief descriptions of what we were seeing.  I really appreciated this, as I much prefer a live guide to an audio commentary.  I’m not really sure what to say about the castle, because as Donald knows, when I find something overwhelming, I often don’t really like talking about it shortly afterwards.

Old Car Show within Castle Walls

There was a massive malachite basin that really impressed me.  It was about 3 feet tall, including the malachite platform.  To put this into perspective, we sell ~1” pieces of malachite for $4.00/each.

What appeared to be the center point of the castle

There was a room with a painted ceiling, the painting showed one of the queens in a chariot in the sky, being pulled by swans.

There was another room, damaged by a fire, which was redone.  The intricacies on the walls and ceiling were all completely redone with new gold leaf to match the original.

 

All and all, the castle was really amazing.  I didn’t get to see everything I would have liked, because I ran out of time, and it was closing.  Fortunately, I was able to get my ticket stamped, enabling free entry into the castle for a year!  I would love to return.  Also, I heard that there are more sections open to the public in the winter versus the summer; more reason to go back.

 

 For dinner, I went to an odd, cafeteria style Japanese/Thai restaurant.  I had a craving for noodle soup, which was the reason for this choice.  While there, I asked a young couple how much it was customary to tip at a place like this, (nothing), and we struck up a conversation.  The young man had graduated from the University of Leeds in 2008, so we discussed the university and the surrounding area.  He told me the good places to visit, what pubs and clubs to frequent, and the like.  It was good advice.  The girl he was with knew Dee from the B&B, so I had to go say, “hi,” for her. 

Small world.

You know you’re in England when: