THE QUEEN IS IN!
DAY 6
WINDSOR
WINDSOR
Windsor is an hour's train ride from London - the tube from Baker Street to Waterloo and hop the train. Rick Steves' guidebook details everything about the trip, along with a map for navigating the town once you're there.
My plan was to go to the Castle, wander around then find lunch in town. After lunch I would cross Windsor Bridge to look for Eton College, and then come back to the Castle for Evensong at 5:15 and catch the 6:30 train back to London.
Things did not go as planned. I became entranced by the throngs of school children who were visiting Windsor in their tidy uniforms. I wandered up and down Peascod Street, finally making it up to Castle Hill, where I bought my ticket and entered Upper Ward about noon.
The British are so wonderfully complex. On entry, you get the subtle, but pointed message, Windsor is the Queen's home and home & family are as important to her as they are to all of us. God Save The Queen!
Context: 2017, the year before Harry & Megan married. That's Charlotte being held by her great grandmother with her brother George standing by. Louis is yet to come. Isn't this a great portrait!!
Right away, the first thing you notice is the round tower and the Queen's standard. When she's not there, the tower flies the Union Jack, but today, she is "in residence."
The second thing you notice - well, maybe, not you, but the second thing "I" notice - is the noise! You'd think a monarch would be able to say "no flightpaths over the Castle" - but - NOT. Hopefully the living quarters are well-insulated because, really, there's a very busy airport near here with enormous jets flying over a few minutes.
Really - all....the....time.....
So - full confession - I was awed. The grounds were massive and I totally lost track of where I was. Put the guidebook away and just started wandering. Now, of course, I would love to tell you what these sights were - but.....just enjoy!
Lots of Range Rovers and Rolls's
England's gray skies and rainy days make for lush greenery for framing views from the Castle.
and fly-bys.
On this day in mid-May, the Castle wasn't thronged with people. There were a fair number but not massively crowded, and you're thinking, maybe there's a chance - a small chance, yes - but a chance that you'll spot "her". Who knows - maybe she'll want to experience "her people." And, as you're walking along, you spot a figure in an upstairs window. No one else sees it - but your heart begins to beat faster. Is that? That small face in the window...Yes! It's one of her corgis - you may not see the Queen, but if you can get a shot of the corgi - wow! That's - even better! So you scramble for your camera and take the shot!
Gosh - that corgi is staying in the same place for quite a long time! Time enough for me to use my long lens setting - and check - HA! HA! the joke's on me! OK I felt a little sheepish, but I'm sure I wasn't the only one fooled!
Doesn't all this greenery look like
something from "Rosemary and Thyme"?
I do love most things British - and have both Acorn TV and Britbox!
What??? No dogs???!!! Who says??!!
"By order"???? Order of who??? Not her - not the Queen - say it ain't so!!!!
I'd looked around the Castle, chose not to do the apartment tour - or maybe I did - looking at interiors that I can't sit down in is just not my thing. I get it - they're awesome and ooooh and aaaah. not my thing. So I left to get lunch at around 2 and Windsor was packed. It seems everybody does lunch at 2. I finally found a place with a table but by the time I ordered and finished and paid, it was near 3:30.
I headed out to find Eton - but got disoriented and found myself instead on the "long walk" - the complete opposite side of the Castle. I did a bit of the "long walk" but at 4 decided to turn back and try to find the queue at Windsor for Evensong.
This is the private entrance to St. George's Chapel - you may have seen in during the coverage of Harry and Meghan's wedding. Harry and Will (yes - we're that friendly) were standing in front of it for some time. It is the "private" entrance, and not how we entered chapel for evensong.
The evensong service started at 5:15 and Rick (Steves) had suggested being in line no later than 4:30 because only a certain number (?) are admitted. I got there and one man was already in line. He began chatting with me - did I know the Queen was in town? (yes) Had I seen her before? (no). He had. There was no stopping him. She was here for a horse show - she came every year for the horse show. She had also been at Windsor for Easter. I felt button-holed but luckily another couple joined us in line.
He broke off our conversation to welcome the couple, who were residents of the town. Our introductions were brief as he got out his phone and started showing me his pictures of the Queen - they were voluminous! Pictures at the horse show, at Easter, glimpses of her in town, on the grounds. I feigned thirst, asked the couple from Windsor to hold my place and went to the fountain. On my return, I let them go ahead of me because I was beginning to get just a teensy apprehensive about this guy. Sure enough, the couple began whispering and pointedly turned away from him. OK - he may have been harmless but he was also "obsessed" with HRM.
At 4:45, they led the small group of us (about 15) into the chapel. I was surprised that instead of being seated in the sanctuary, they seated us in the chancelry, in the choir area. I carefully avoided sitting near the "fan" and sat, rather closer (I think) to the private entrance.
The service was brief but beautiful, with an exquisite mix of voices. The 24-voice choir, 12 young boys and 12 men blended so beautifully - it really was angelic. No queen sightings, but a great day in Windsor nonetheless.
I was there on Tuesday, May 9. The responsive reading was Psalm 106:6-23 and the anthem was Hymn of St. Columba. (No pics allowed inside the Chapel.)
The RS guidebook talks about the chapel extensively, but unless you've seen it in person, you can't fully comprehend how important the Order of the Garter (weird name) is to St. George's Chapel and the whole royal hierarchy. To quote RS, "In 2008 Prince William became only the 1,000th knight in the order's 660-year history." In layman's terms - it's a really big deal.
A little over a year later, on May 19, 2018, our little Cambria library set up the big screen TV and invited the community to celebrate Harry & Meghan's nuptials. Thanks to our head librarian, Destiny, we all got a chance to celebrate with the Royals!
If you look at the screen and see where Harry is standing, just to his right, seated, are Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla. For evensong, I was seated, if not where they are sitting, then quite close, about 3 feet down from where the Queen sat. Yep - scouted out the seat for her - yep your royal M - can see everything from there, hear everything - great seat - it has my approval!
A CRUISE ON THE THAMES
Blue skies made for a perfect afternoon to take a cruise up and down the Thames. The cruise departed from just outside the Tate Modern.
A Thames-eye view of Millennium Bridge
The Shard (because it looks like one!)
Passing the Old Globe theater
Might be train out of St. Pancras
Tower of London
Heading toward Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge
Passing under Tower Bridge
Old and new - side-by-side
London Bridge
Southwark Bridge
Samuel Pepys pub
Expecting to see a chorus of chimney-sweeps: "Chim-chiminy, chim-chiminy, chim-chim-cheree, a sweep is as lucky...."
City of London School
Cleopatra's Needle
London skyline
London Eye
The cruise finished with a spectacular view of Big Ben and Westminster - the Houses of Parliament. Terrific way to see London - about 10 pounds ($12) for a one hour tour.
