I left a small piece of my heart in London and the class departed for Windsor. The town is small and regal-looking, the type of aesthetic one would expect from a quaint little town in England. Picturesque, with cobblestone roads and beautiful scenery. It had a much different vibe than London did.
Windsor Castle, the oldest occupied castle in the world, is enormous and hard to miss. The Queen was home at the time we were there, but I did not catch her in time for tea.
The tour includes an audio guide. I honestly didn’t think I would utilize the little handheld device, about the size of a smart phone with large headphones, as much as I did, but it was most definitely worth the listen.
We started the tour at the State Apartments. The rooms along what is called ‘the ceremonial route’ are used to this day by The Queen to host important figures from around the world. Rooms along this route include the Great Reception room and the Waterloo Chamber. The Great Reception Room has walls adorned with gold and large pieces of French artwork, an ode by George IV for his love of French luxuries. There is also the Waterloo Chamber, which is dedicated to the victory of the Allied forces at the Battle of Waterloo and the defeat of Napoleon. On the high walls hang large portraits of commanders, monarchs, and statesmen who were involved in Napoleon’s defeat. One could get lost for hours in the art, the history, and the vast spaces.
As I left the castle and started my decent to the exit, I got to see royal dogs pee. These dogs probably live a better life than I could ever imaging living myself. They did not get excited at all at the sight of people. They must know that they are royalty.
Unfortunately, we only had a few hours to spare, not nearly enough time to soak up this town and all of it’s glory. We had to board the bus for Stratford-Upon-Avon, another lovely little town on the water and a town riddled with history of William Shakespeare. After the sun rises, we get to tour it.