Today was the day we said goodbye to London and hello to Windsor! After four busy days in the bustling city, it was refreshing to take a step outside of it all and experience the beauty of the countryside and smaller town of Windsor. As a fan of the Royal Family, I was extremely excited to visit the castle, which the Queen was currently staying in, and at the possibility of catching a glimpse of the Royal Baby, Archie (spoiler: sadly, I did not).
Our trip to Windsor began with our tour guide Simon taking us to several stops around the town and telling us historical facts about the castle and those who have inhabited it. We all got a headset so we could walk through the State Apartments using the audio tour, which I found to be very beneficial. Personally, I enjoyed walking through the castle and St. George’s Chapel at my own pace and listening to the audio tape describe what each room was used for and the significance of certain paintings and artifacts. It was really humbling to be able to light a candle in the Chapel, and it left me with a pleasant, calming feeling.
Once I finished touring the castle, I met up with Mya for lunch at a pub called the Duchess of Cambridge, named quite obviously after Kate Middleton. I had a fish finger sandwich with sweet potato fries and was feeling brave enough to try one of their ales named McMullen Duchess. Following lunch, we wandered for a bit before hopping back on the bus to head to Stratford-upon-Avon, (a mouthful, I know), home of Shakespeare.
Upon arrival, Mya and I quickly got ready before joining everyone for a meeting in the hotel to discuss our media visits so far and what we took away from them. I chose to talk about Battenhall and Hearst UK because of their incredible hospitality, relation to my major with the discussion of data analytics, and just their overall “wow” factor.
With empty stomachs, we wrapped up the meeting and made our way to Old Thatch Tavern for a group dinner. I opted for the vegetarian option because I don’t eat pork, and I was surprised to find my meal consisted of a cheese tart, potatoes, and salad. It was not something I would’ve typically ordered for myself, so I was glad I had the chance to try something new.
Following dinner, Mya and I made our way down to the hotel lobby to relax and chat with the professors before finally heading to bed and calling it a night. Since we would be traveling to Liverpool the next day, we had to make sure everything was packed up and ready to place into storage in the morning. After a day of traveling, we decided to get some rest before another long day on the road!