Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle from the outside
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Hello all,

It has been a while since I have done some blogging so I thought I'd start off with today's bus trip, organized through Butler, to Windsor Castle.  I had to remember to wake up early and get to the Butler Office in Pembridge Gardens by 0900.  It is the weekend so the London transport system is working at 50% since many of the lines require constant maintenance.  I walked over to Borough station and found that it was closed and all lines connecting to it were closed too!  So I had to make a farther walk to London Bridge Station where I caught the tube to Notting Hill Gate tube station.

windsor castle
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The bus left just after I got there and it was a 45-minute bus ride to Windsor Castle.  Butler paid for our entrance and so we walked around.  I picked up the free audio guide but quickly dropped it off again because I find that they tend to slow me down and provide information that I don't really care about.

Anyway, you can see the pictures for yourself.  It was a great day in the morning and so we toured around and saw the small cathedral and the guard change.  The cathedral was nothing compared to the ones that I have seen before.  But it was neat because the past kings and queens of England were all buried there!  I saw their tombs and admired the marble work.

Inside the castle
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Next, I walked through the state apartments where I saw the various rooms used exclusively for official occasions of the government and monarchy.  I saw Queen Elizabeth's doll house.  I think it was commissioned to show off the techniques and skills of the artisans.  The doll house, all in proportion, was roughly the size of an office desk!  All decorations were made of solid gold.  The materials were of the finest too (gold, silver, pearl, ivory, etc.).  I thought that it was a weird gift to give to the queen.

These guys are always good sports. this one wasn't a good statue though because he laughed.
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The other rooms that I saw were really neat.  They had many armory rooms filled with swords, pistols, and muskets from way back and all over the world.  There were no pictures allowed inside so I can't show you what it looked like but it was impressive.  There must have been near a hundred of each (swords, muskets, etc.)  They also had knights' armor and coats of arms decorating the various rooms.  They had a wall full of knights' names and their corresponding coat of arms, that was neat to see.  I also saw the king's bedroom, drawing room, waiting room, tea room, etc.  Who needs so many rooms?  Why would you want to switch rooms for each activity that you do hahaha.

the cathedral is on the right of this picture...that's where the queens and kings are buried.
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Anyway, the castle was huge and it was cool to walk through it.  When I left I just walked through Eton town's small streets.  I also saw "The Long Walk".  I don't know its history but it is cool to see.  It is just a long pathway lined with trees and plush green grass.  I picked up a cream cheese - and - smoked salmon bagel sandwich at a shop but it was terrible compared to the one I had in Dublin.  It was bad because it was pre-made.  I ate it anyway along with a Greek salad.  I crossed the Thames River where many people were feeding the ducks and swans.  Just as I got to Eton College it started to pour!  I didn't walk through the college but there were many preppy looking students walking around it.  Apparently Eton is the top of the top in the UK.  They've graduated 15 prime ministers or something ridiculous like that.

small windsor street
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I had a lot of time to kill because we weren't getting back to the bus until 1600.  I just kept walking through the neighborhood until I found more Butler kids that went on the bus trip.  They were looking for the bus because it was 1445 and apparently we were supposed to be back at 1450!  It's a good thing I found them otherwise I would have been left behind!

It was a short bus trip but we got back nice and early so that was much better than previous ones organized by Butler.

check out this crooked house!
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I am done with two of four finals.  My next exam is on 16 May on Third World Development.  I'm heading to Nancy, France on 23 May by rail through the chunnel.  The train goes from London - Waterloo to Paris and then to Nancy.  Still no word as to where I am staying and when I'll start officially working.  Enjoy the pictures!