There is no doubt that Windsor Castle is best seen in the good morning lig
ht or on dusk. This home to the English monarchy is the largest and longest continually inhabitated castle in the world. It presents an imposing facade high on the hill above the town of Windsor as the 'pilgrims' make their way up that hill from the parking areas, running the gauntlet of the fast food outlets on their way to try to catch a glimpse of our Lizzie!
We get to Windsor a bit after 10 
am with lots of traffic crawling the last 5 kms or so. The day again is beautiful and there are lots of British drivers in open topped cars travelling the motorway. With the British summer sun beaming down on us it is time to make sure that we liberally apply sunscreen now. But you would be horrified at the number of young and older people here who strip off and bake in the sun.
The queue to get in to the Castle is 
long and we have finally struck tourists, b***** tourists - not bad considering that we are 6 months in to our journey! It takes us almost an hour from the time we turn into Castle Hill to get tickets and then go through security. But it is not unpleasant, the staff and the people around us are chatty. When we do get inside, there is a guided tour about to start so we join this to get some of that precious insider knowledge. And the Queen's standard is flying meaning that she is in residence at the Castle 
as we are here. We are told that most weekends she comes to the Castle as it is her favoured home.
We meander through the Lower Ward en route to the entrance to the State Apartments hearing of the castle development and the goings on of the various monarchs through history. Not sure that I would ever want 
their lives - even with all the perks. I mean even as a King your people could turn on you and you could be beheaded and when as a woman you are no longer in favour, beheading was the most convenient way to make way for the next titillating little romance!
There is no Changing of the Guard ceremony today as the Coldstream Guards are practising for the Trooping of the Colour ceremony that takes place in June for the Queen's official birthday. However, they are still doing sentry duty and from time to time we see two or three Guards marching to their next 
post. And those on Sentry Duty, when not at a post, casually stroll through the grounds, chatting to tourists and posing happily for snaps. In fact their contract stipulates that they must agree to this!
We met David (on the left) and Brett and they were happy to let me get a photo of Michael with them - was going to add some witty little quip about the 
differences in hats, but my wit has momentarily left me. Brett at the age of 23 has seen a tour in Northern Ireland (when I commented that he looked too young he told me that he had enlisted at 16) and David has relations in Penrith, NSW - small world. We talked about how Antony almost went to Afghanistan with the Brits and they said that if he ever gets the chance that he should jump at it - they seem to like working with the Aussies - we said thanks, but no thanks!!!
From here we head over to have a look through the State Apartments. You can't take photos here (don't worry, we bought the guide book), but suffice to say they are everything that you would expect and them some. In the Drawings Gallery there is a special exhibition to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII's accession to power including amazing sketches of the King and his courtiers by Hans Holbein the Younger and line 
drawings by Leonardo da Vinci. Then it is in to the China Room which is of even more interest after being to the Wedgewood Factory and then up through the Grand stairway and vestibule where we see lots of armour and weapons on display.
Through the various reception rooms and display chambers such as the Kings Bedchamber and the Queens Presence Chamber and through the huge St Georges Hall and the Grand Reception Room with its amazing chandeliers. I could go on and on and on and bore you all, but we have the book so you can read all about it in detail if you want to when we get home! In St Georges Hall there are the shields of all the Knights of the Garter. We have almost left the room when I notice that the 1000th knight registered (in 2008) is Prince 
William. But I can't see his shield anywhere so we ask one of the attendants - she happily shows us where it is, nothing more special than any of the others! What is probably more interesting is that there are a number of them that have been painted over white - this is where the knight once awarded, has been stripped of the award - mostly in the time of Henry VIII and the changes with the church! (Many of these would have also lost their heads). 
Once we were through the Castle, St George's Chapel and the grounds surrounding, we took ourselves off to the Horse and Groom pub just down from the castle for a bite to eat. We had Rib eye fillet steak (Blue) with mash and vegetables (Michael, obviously) and Cumberland sausages with mash and fried onion rings (Maria). Great food, much better than it looks and a brilliant setting in a pub building that dates back to the 1700s. Served by a young Aussie barmaid who this week has been there a year!
Bellies no longer grumbling we head over to Eton to have a look at the College and a privileged life! Funny thing, it was 
closed the other day after their speech night and when we get there today there is another sign on the gate announcing a closure to - SWINE FLU! I am a little sceptical at first wondering whether this is just a convenient excuse but when we get back to the GH I check it on the net news and yes, for sure, there is a confirmed case and the College has been closed by the Health Commission. Bugger, bugger and more bugger. We do not have the time 
to hang around and wait for it to re-open in another week. And unfortunately, we have missed the Eton College Museum of Natural History by a mere 5 minutes. Trouble is that 5 pm does not feel like 5pm, more like 2 or 3! But we still manage to take a photo or 60.
So back over to Windsor to do the Windsor Wheel - one of those 
huge ferris wheel style with enclosed gondolas. We though that this would give us a different perspective of the Castle. It also gave us so pretty amazing views of the countryside surrounding it. We buy the photo that they take as it really is pretty good - we can download it from online so that we could post it on the blog - but we have to wait up to a week, so - you miss out on that one!
Dinner tonight is at the local Go Sing Chinese restaurant. We went with some trepidation as we will always judge a Chinese meal by those we had in Beijing where we got to eat true chinese style cooking, not adulterated 
for the western palate. But we are not disappointed. While it is certainly not that traditional style, it is very good.
You can either order from the a-la-carte menu or from the all-you-can-eat menu. This is an interesting concept where they have 156 dishes available and for £14.95 per person you can have as many as you like with the rider that any dishes not eaten are charged at full rate. I guess this is to encourage people to try some, and order more if they are still hungry rather that order over the top and leave a whole heap of food uneaten. We choose to go down this path and order:
Starter
Special Crispy Platter for 2 (spring rolls, satay chicken, crispy seaweed, barbecue spare ribs, sesame prawn on toast). The prawn toasts were rubbery, but the seaweed 
was amazing - shredded into fine strips then flash (deep) fried with ground dried shrimp powder on top - absolutely delicious! (no pic, ate it before we remembered!)
Mains
Chicken Breast in Lemon Sauce
Sliced Duck with Ginger and Shallots
Deep fried Shredded Beef with Carrots and Chilli
Special Fried Rice.
Delicious!
And then it was back to the Oakwood Guest House to find out that the favourite Britain's Got Talent contender - Susan Boyle from Wales (we were near her town when she was first voted in) had been topped by dance troupe Diversity who had been placed sixth favourite by UK bookmakers!!! Wow.
Ah yes, summer is a-coming. Today is the most beautiful day and we are anticipating 23 °C. We have an early checkout from the hotel this morning (9 am) somewhat dissatisfied with the level of room comfort and the lack of attention to the small details. The staff however have been pleasant. 
Initially we planned to go and do Windsor Castle today, but first want to go and see if we can take a closer look at the most amazing building we saw on our way to the movies the other night. We noticed that there was a University of London sign on the gate, so we are assuming that we should at least be able to get into the grounds. The Royal Holloway and New Bedford 
College as seen from the road is jaw-droppingly gorgeous and interesting. We head back on the same road we took the other night and before long, we spy the edifice through the trees. Turns out that it is modelled on a French Chateau in the Loire Valley (more details in the link above). There is one small gateway and the road goes one way around the exterior of the building ensuring that every time you enter the grounds you get the full 
benefit of the vista!
From here it is a very short drive to Runnymede and the memorials to the signing of the Magna Carta (that was sealed by King John because he could not read or write!). So we head out into the peak hour traffic but only for a little while as we enter the National Trust area that is the Runnymede site. Our priority is food as we did not have breakfast at the hotel and the Magna Carta cafe is still serving a full English breakfast which was delicious. Gosh the sausages here are so different from the standard issue at home. Once we have filled bellies, we turn to look at the sites on offer. As there is quite a walk to reach the various memorials (and we are still hoping to do
the Castle) I opt to wait for Michael to go have a look.
There are two memorials, well one is dedicated to the Magna Carta whilst the other is a dedication John F Kennedy. Albeit, the memorials are most impressive and quite solemn. The memorial to the signing of the first Magna Carta was erected by the American Bar Association in recognising the charter as the first document representing democracy and human rights. The memorial, designed by Edward Maufe, is of a domed classical stye rotunda with a singular pillar of English granite at its centre. On the pillar is enscribed the words: To commemorate Magna Carta, symbol of 
Freedom Under Law. Oh, and as for the charter being 'signed' on Runnymede Island is utter baloney - as it is not known where in Runnymede the Magna Carta was signed and sealed! As for Runnymede Island, it was man-made in the late 19th century, a church'folly' built and visitors were charged 1 penny to view the alleged revered place.
The Kennedy memorial was erected on one acre of land given to the Ame
rican people in 1964 after Kennedy's assassination in 1963. In essence, when you enter this memorial you are literally walking on American soil! However, access to this memorial is by a steep set of stairs designed to represent the path taken in the Pilgrim's Progress - minus the multitude of demons and temptations. Upon reaching the summit one is met by a 7 tonne rectangular block of marble inscribed with a dedication and a quote from President Kennedy's inaugural speech which he gave in 1961. To the left of the memorial is a path which is referred to as a 'Jacob's Ladder', as the path is to represent walking towards the future. The path ends with two concrete benches located above and below the direction of the path. These benches have been dedicated as 'Seats of Reflection', as the visitor is provided with a panoramic view of Runnymede and beyond.
We leave the Runnymede site to drive up to the Commonwealth Air Forces Memorial set upon Cooper's Hill. This memorial is located on 5 acres of manicured lawns and gardens commemorating those 20,456 Air Force personnel who lost their lives during WWII and who have no known graves. Their names are inscribed upon the interior walls of the memorial and 
grouped in each respective year of the conflict and nationality. To mention the solemnity of this shrine is an understatement for it is a poignant statement in sadness and futility. The view provided from the roof of the shrine is stunning, for one can see as far out as London city.
Today was similar to the Bank Holiday last Monday - perfect weather! With just a slight breeze blowing and with ducks and geese a plenty we're set for a leisurely cruise along the Thames. Travelling at a 4 knot speed we bask in the fine weather whilst absorbing all of our surroundings. Our helmsman proudly points out a handsome steam driven vessel which he refers to as the flagship of the companies fleet. Built in 1894 the vessel changed hands and was finally bought by French Bros who had it restored right down to repla
cing the diesel engine with a steam reciprocating engine. He further advised that the vessel was available for hire a modest sum of £1,500 for the day!
As we sail we are provided with an informative spiel of the history surrounding the area. Our helmsman points out the ruins of St Mary's Priory and a nearby yew tree, referred to as the Ankerwycke Yew. The yew tree he extols, has been suggested by some historians as a more probable spot where the Magna Carter may have signed and sealed! As 
we pass this spot the banks are lined with a variety of Dutch barges which have been converted by their owners as residences. The owners of these barges tend to the gardens which line the river bank, which appear to be overseered by the occupants of the stately homes beyond the bank! As for stately homes, (it is as though our helmsman had read Maria's mind,) we are provided with an estimation as to the value of some of the homes along the bank. The estimations ranged from £380,000 to £1,000,000 which surprised us as we assumed the property values to be exceedingly more.
We pass by an inflatable dingy occupied by two men, two women, one child and a dog. This is reminiscent of Jerome K Jerome's classic story of 'Three Men In a Boat' together with the dog Montmorency...we have a laugh over this comparison. And along the bank we see English people taking picnics in the park as the children are on a week's mid-term break from school 
included that quintessential English family man complete with hankie knotted in four corners adorning his head. Well, as Noel Coward once penned - "mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun."
Our cruise does a turnaround just past the picnickers and docks at a mooring to take on passengers and allow others to disembark. We are on our way and no sooner that our cruise has come to an end.
We decide to drive to Avebury to visit the standing circle, however the best laid plans go awry with the volume of traffic and roadworks. Terrible delays on the motorway so we returned to have a very late lunch at the Bells of Ousley pub near the Runnymede site in Old Windsor.
Our lunch over we make our to West Drayton where our lodgings, the Oakwood Lodge is located. We finally arrive, after a interlude to put our car through a much needed car wash and a detour in locating the parking area.
We slept until 9 this morning and so missed breakfast. Kind of get the feeling that we actually didn't miss too much. So we wrap parcels, change light lamps in the car and generally have a slower start to the day.
About 11 am we leave to drive over to Windsor to see the 
Castle. When we arrive we are now very hungry and decide to have lunch first. There are a lot of fast food outlets in High Street in Windsor and then we pass a Wetherspoons pub so we dash in. Both choose the Beef and Ale pie served with vegetables (carrot and broccoli) and mashed potato with gravy. Certainly far from being the best pie we have had, but is sure beats any of the mc meals that are available at the other outlets. 
By the time we are finished it is now 2:30 pm which would only give us a little over 2 hours in the castle complex (and we are about to miss the last Changing of the Guards) so we opt instead to do the red bus tour this afternoon and return to the Castle in the morning. So, just outside the Castle we buy tickets for the bus that is just about to leave and jump on.
This bus tour does Windsor, Eton and Datchet. The commentary, while taped, is excellent and ties in the development of these three towns with the history of the castle and the English monarchy in an easy to understand way. It also puts the Castle into context for our visit tomorrow. The Castle was built by William the Conquerer shortly after winning the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and was one of nine built at the time around London.
But Windsor is not only the home to Windsor Castle, it is also home to Victor
ia Barracks which houses the Coldstream Guards. We were lucky enough to see some of the Guards marching the quarter mile to the Castle as we drove by. Windsor and the surrounding areas were developed greatly by each of the subsequent monarchs with George III and Queen Victoria and Prince Albert leaving significant legacies to the communities.
Datchet Village is one of those quaint little villages that you conjure 
up in your minds eye when anyone talks of England. The town can date its existence to about 990 AD but flourished with the establishment of the Windsor Castle on the opposite bank of the Thames River, being on the road to London. The river was first crossed by a ferry that was later replaced by a bridge. Datchet was the setting for the novel Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) by Jerome K. Jerome published in 1889, a humorous account of a boating holiday on the Thames. This novel is one of Aunty Catherine's favourite and a great read - I highly recommend it. Datchet also features in the Merry Wives of Windsor by Shakespeare.
And on to that seat of learning - Eton with its famous College. Established i
n 1440 by Henry VI, it has borne 20 Prime Ministers as well as countless other notable old boys. Each of the Houses are named after their Tutor who gives his initials to the house names. The Headmaster is know as the Head Man (reminding me of the MERG names for the HMTC radio call names!!) and the teachers are known as Beaks - gosh, wonder how the hell they got that name! The College is closed today as they held their annual Speech Day yesterday and the boys are on 
school holidays. We did get off the bus and had a coffee in a small parlour at the front of the local hairdressers. We will endeavour to visit the College tomorrow when part of it will be open.
So back into Windsor we go. It is time to collect the car from the parking station where it has cost us £6 for a mere 2 hours! We are visiting Anna and Gary and the boys for dinner tonight so we stop off at Tesco for wine and little pressies.
It was wonderful to see them again (although Nathan had just fallen asleep) and we spoke of family events and past gatherings as well as our travels. They are hoping to ungrade to a larger house while the interest rates are low and property prices subdued. They have a house viewing this Saturday and have been busy getting their home ready for the best possible presentation. Good luck guys - we will be thinking of you.
We had offered to take them out to dinner, but a better option was takeaway (I should have remembered the challenges of little boys!) so Indian it was. Chicken Tikka Masala and Chicken Korma along with plain rice, pilau rice and lemon rice made a really nice meal - all the better because it was home delivered. We finished it off with Krispy Kreme donuts - yu-um. Anna graciously let us do a load of washing - takes a load off!! LOL
Thanks Anna and Gary for your friendship.
ht or on dusk. This home to the English monarchy is the largest and longest continually inhabitated castle in the world. It presents an imposing facade high on the hill above the town of Windsor as the 'pilgrims' make their way up that hill from the parking areas, running the gauntlet of the fast food outlets on their way to try to catch a glimpse of our Lizzie!
am with lots of traffic crawling the last 5 kms or so. The day again is beautiful and there are lots of British drivers in open topped cars travelling the motorway. With the British summer sun beaming down on us it is time to make sure that we liberally apply sunscreen now. But you would be horrified at the number of young and older people here who strip off and bake in the sun.
long and we have finally struck tourists, b***** tourists - not bad considering that we are 6 months in to our journey! It takes us almost an hour from the time we turn into Castle Hill to get tickets and then go through security. But it is not unpleasant, the staff and the people around us are chatty. When we do get inside, there is a guided tour about to start so we join this to get some of that precious insider knowledge. And the Queen's standard is flying meaning that she is in residence at the Castle 
as we are here. We are told that most weekends she comes to the Castle as it is her favoured home.
their lives - even with all the perks. I mean even as a King your people could turn on you and you could be beheaded and when as a woman you are no longer in favour, beheading was the most convenient way to make way for the next titillating little romance!
post. And those on Sentry Duty, when not at a post, casually stroll through the grounds, chatting to tourists and posing happily for snaps. In fact their contract stipulates that they must agree to this!
differences in hats, but my wit has momentarily left me. Brett at the age of 23 has seen a tour in Northern Ireland (when I commented that he looked too young he told me that he had enlisted at 16) and David has relations in Penrith, NSW - small world. We talked about how Antony almost went to Afghanistan with the Brits and they said that if he ever gets the chance that he should jump at it - they seem to like working with the Aussies - we said thanks, but no thanks!!!
drawings by Leonardo da Vinci. Then it is in to the China Room which is of even more interest after being to the Wedgewood Factory and then up through the Grand stairway and vestibule where we see lots of armour and weapons on display.
William. But I can't see his shield anywhere so we ask one of the attendants - she happily shows us where it is, nothing more special than any of the others! What is probably more interesting is that there are a number of them that have been painted over white - this is where the knight once awarded, has been stripped of the award - mostly in the time of Henry VIII and the changes with the church! (Many of these would have also lost their heads). 
closed the other day after their speech night and when we get there today there is another sign on the gate announcing a closure to - SWINE FLU! I am a little sceptical at first wondering whether this is just a convenient excuse but when we get back to the GH I check it on the net news and yes, for sure, there is a confirmed case and the College has been closed by the Health Commission. Bugger, bugger and more bugger. We do not have the time 
to hang around and wait for it to re-open in another week. And unfortunately, we have missed the Eton College Museum of Natural History by a mere 5 minutes. Trouble is that 5 pm does not feel like 5pm, more like 2 or 3! But we still manage to take a photo or 60.
huge ferris wheel style with enclosed gondolas. We though that this would give us a different perspective of the Castle. It also gave us so pretty amazing views of the countryside surrounding it. We buy the photo that they take as it really is pretty good - we can download it from online so that we could post it on the blog - but we have to wait up to a week, so - you miss out on that one!
for the western palate. But we are not disappointed. While it is certainly not that traditional style, it is very good.
was amazing - shredded into fine strips then flash (deep) fried with ground dried shrimp powder on top - absolutely delicious! (no pic, ate it before we remembered!)
