Wow, so here I am in England. For the weekend. Yes, I know, it's crazy to fly over the puddle for three days, but I have a friend there that I've been dying to see, and I don't get a ton of holidays, so a weekend it will have to be. Besides, you could say that he's more than just a friend, nudge nudge wink wink, and worth spending two days getting there and back. Let's just call him London.
Arrive Thursday evening, fairly late, and Air Canada still hasn't figured out that feeding some breakfast at the beginning of a long day flight, and then a tiny sandwich at the end of the flight and dropping off the passengers at 9:30 p.m. doesn't work. So, London makes me a fantastic salad and a plate of antipasti, with buffalo mozzarella, salami, pancetta, and ricotta stuffed peppers. No wonder I find him irresistable!
Friday morning dawns, the sun is shining, it's not supposed to rain much, and we decide to go to Windsor. I don't even know what's there, but London says there's a castle, and I've never seen a real castle, so it sounds good to me. Windsor the town is a beautiful, Olde English towne (have to spell it that way, sorry), with narrow streets, old brick homes with tile roofs and large chimneys, and the quaintness I expected. It's so like the movies that I almost feel at home, and that it's nothing special. Yet in some ways, it feels like I'm in a James Bond movie. Except for the fact that I'm a passenger in a Mitsubishi, and I'm pretty sure James Bond never drove a Mitsubishi.
The terrain is much more rolling than I expected, and the castle sits atop a hill. The climb goes past a small Italian restaurant so we stop for a lovely lunch of calzone (him) and spaghetti (me), then up we go to see Windsor Castle. I am awestruck. The closest I have ever come to such magnificence was, well, never. Never have I seen such a beautiful place. Suddenly, I understand the magnitude of wealth that the Royal Family and the history of England lays claim to.
I can't imagine what it would have been like to live in such a place, and then we go inside and it's even more incredible. The courtyard is the size of a football field. From the entrance, we can see how high up we truly are, and I marvel at what the landscape might have been like 200 years ago.
Upon entering, London mentions that the last time he was here, he was not impressed with Queen Mary's Doll house, but since it only takes a couple of minutes to see it, we go there first. I find it fascinating, but that's because the dollhouse that I had when I was small was approximately two feet by three feet, made of metal, and had pre-cast plastic furniture, and all the decorative features of the house were painted on the walls. Queen Mary's dollhouse, on the other hand, was a miniaturized castle. Complete with electric lighting, chandaliers, art on the walls, dishes on the table, absolutely incredible. My favourite was the staircase to the main hall, where two suits of armour stood guard.
From there, we enter the main display of rooms, from the king's bedroom where the closet is bigger than my living room, to St. George's Hall, where the Coats of Arms from over 1000 knights are displayed. We notice that Prince William was the 1000th name on the list, but couldn't find his Coat of Arms.
The artwork, decor, furniture, displays of china, swords and other armaments, spaciousness, opulence, ostentatiousness, splendour and timeless beauty are truly overwhelming. Still I can't get through my head that people have lived here. Unfortunately, we're not allowed to take pictures inside, which I understand. Still, it would have been nice to have something more concrete than memories to take home with me. So, in one of the gift shops, I purchase a couple of keepsake items.
The first item I find is keychain crowns - for my quartet, Nuance, that is working towards becoming "Queens of Harmony". The next is something I've been looking for a long time, a silver charm for a charm bracelet that I've had for ages, but no charms to add. The charm is a replica of the round tower. Last but not least, my favourite fragrance in a hand cream, and hand wash - White Hyacinth. A beautiful flower with a beautiful scent.
On our way back to the car, I spot another view of the castle, and in the setting dusk, it helps me imagine what it might have looked like centuries ago, complete with the moat.
Arrive Thursday evening, fairly late, and Air Canada still hasn't figured out that feeding some breakfast at the beginning of a long day flight, and then a tiny sandwich at the end of the flight and dropping off the passengers at 9:30 p.m. doesn't work. So, London makes me a fantastic salad and a plate of antipasti, with buffalo mozzarella, salami, pancetta, and ricotta stuffed peppers. No wonder I find him irresistable!
Friday morning dawns, the sun is shining, it's not supposed to rain much, and we decide to go to Windsor. I don't even know what's there, but London says there's a castle, and I've never seen a real castle, so it sounds good to me. Windsor the town is a beautiful, Olde English towne (have to spell it that way, sorry), with narrow streets, old brick homes with tile roofs and large chimneys, and the quaintness I expected. It's so like the movies that I almost feel at home, and that it's nothing special. Yet in some ways, it feels like I'm in a James Bond movie. Except for the fact that I'm a passenger in a Mitsubishi, and I'm pretty sure James Bond never drove a Mitsubishi.
The terrain is much more rolling than I expected, and the castle sits atop a hill. The climb goes past a small Italian restaurant so we stop for a lovely lunch of calzone (him) and spaghetti (me), then up we go to see Windsor Castle. I am awestruck. The closest I have ever come to such magnificence was, well, never. Never have I seen such a beautiful place. Suddenly, I understand the magnitude of wealth that the Royal Family and the history of England lays claim to.
I can't imagine what it would have been like to live in such a place, and then we go inside and it's even more incredible. The courtyard is the size of a football field. From the entrance, we can see how high up we truly are, and I marvel at what the landscape might have been like 200 years ago.
Upon entering, London mentions that the last time he was here, he was not impressed with Queen Mary's Doll house, but since it only takes a couple of minutes to see it, we go there first. I find it fascinating, but that's because the dollhouse that I had when I was small was approximately two feet by three feet, made of metal, and had pre-cast plastic furniture, and all the decorative features of the house were painted on the walls. Queen Mary's dollhouse, on the other hand, was a miniaturized castle. Complete with electric lighting, chandaliers, art on the walls, dishes on the table, absolutely incredible. My favourite was the staircase to the main hall, where two suits of armour stood guard.
From there, we enter the main display of rooms, from the king's bedroom where the closet is bigger than my living room, to St. George's Hall, where the Coats of Arms from over 1000 knights are displayed. We notice that Prince William was the 1000th name on the list, but couldn't find his Coat of Arms.
The artwork, decor, furniture, displays of china, swords and other armaments, spaciousness, opulence, ostentatiousness, splendour and timeless beauty are truly overwhelming. Still I can't get through my head that people have lived here. Unfortunately, we're not allowed to take pictures inside, which I understand. Still, it would have been nice to have something more concrete than memories to take home with me. So, in one of the gift shops, I purchase a couple of keepsake items.
The first item I find is keychain crowns - for my quartet, Nuance, that is working towards becoming "Queens of Harmony". The next is something I've been looking for a long time, a silver charm for a charm bracelet that I've had for ages, but no charms to add. The charm is a replica of the round tower. Last but not least, my favourite fragrance in a hand cream, and hand wash - White Hyacinth. A beautiful flower with a beautiful scent.
On our way back to the car, I spot another view of the castle, and in the setting dusk, it helps me imagine what it might have looked like centuries ago, complete with the moat.
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