Day FiveWe loved going to Windsor for the day. While the hustle and bustle of London is fun, it was nice to enjoy a slower pace for the day.
We took the train from the Waterloo Station, which had Rebecca singing the ABBA song, "Waterloo," most of the day! As we waited for our train, Gillian gave us a crash course in how to read the train schedules and figure out which platform we needed to go to. The train whisked us through the countryside and Gillian made sure we were in position to see the changing of the guard outside of Windsor Castle. Gillian got our tickets and made sure our audio guides worked, and then we were off on our own. We could tour the castle at our own pace and return to London whenever we wanted to. We enjoyed taking lots of photos in the gardens before starting to tour the inside. One of my favorite parts of the tour was right at the beginning, Queen Mary's dollhouse. I had seen this dollhouse as a child, when it had toured the United States. I remember looking at it all those years ago with childlike wonder, and longing for my own magical dollhouse. I think I had those same thoughts and feeling seeing it this time too! There was a special photography exhibit for the Jubilee celebration, which was fascinating to see some of the behind the scenes and candid shots of the Royal family. We then enjoyed touring the rest of the castle, listening to the audio guide as we strolled along. Although what we REALLY wanted to see was where the Royal family resides. Once again the Queen wasn't there to invite us in, and we found out that she was actually in London at Green Park for a ceremony, which was a block away from our hotel! Having spent all morning touring the castle, we were then ready to sit and relax, and took Gillian's recommendation to have afternoon tea at The Crooked House, which is indeed crooked! We felt very British, as we sipped our tea and nibbled our sandwiches. With our feet rested we were ready to wander through the little town of Windsor. Gillian had mentioned a great view of the Queen's entrance and what they call the "long mile." It was a spectacular view! We enjoyed a little souvenir shopping before taking the train back to London. The train station was very close to The London Eye, so we decided to make that our next adventure. None of us are very fond of heights or thrill rides, but the Eye moves so slowly it was enjoyable to watch the view. I took tons of photos, hoping that a few would turn out, as the views were amazing. Sadly, the Eye staff really needs to wash their windows, as most of the photos came out with window smudge marks! While being pricey and a bit touristy, seeing London from the Eye was totally worth it! We knew that the Olympic rings had been lowered on Tower Bridge, and we wanted to see it! So spur of the moment we decided to walk along the Thames towards Tower Bridge. The South Bank was a very happening place that evening. There was street music, food, and tons of people enjoying the perfect summer evening. We found a food truck selling tacos, one of Rebecca's favorites. We settled in like we were locals at the communal tables with our dinner. The sun was setting and we wanted to get a good view of the rings. So we walked, and walked, and walked towards the bridge. Tower Bridge was a bit farther than we thought, but we finally made it to the pedestrian-only Millennium Bridge. We enjoyed the once in a lifetime view of the Olympic Rings on Tower Bridge. We were tired, but so glad we had seen that historic sight! We were very thankful for the Tube, as we made our way to the nearest station, and headed back to the hotel! Whew, another busy and fun day! |
Favorite PhotosI took lots of photos on this day, here are some of my favorites.
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Planning Your Own Trip?“to travel is worth any cost or sacrifice.” -Elizabeth Gilbert |