Day 5: Historic Windsor Castle
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A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of. - Jane Austen
An Aristocrat without a servant is about as useful as a glass hammer. - Dowager Countess Grantham on Downton Abbey |
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What do you need for the perfect fairy tale? A wonderful castle! Windsor Castle is that castle come to life. It rambles on for acres, has a flower-filled moat and a beautiful village nearby. Walking through Windsor Castle, one could imagine being ushered in for an event with the Queen, then staying to chat with William and Kate or even dashing Prince Harry.
On our sunniest day in London (and yes, that was saying something given our weather-related good fortune), we were lucky to travel out into the English "countryside" to see the primary royal residence. We enjoyed our self-guided tour of the castle itself. It was amazing to think of it as a personal residence viewing the portraits by Gainsborough, the generously-sized armor belonging to Henry VIII and a dining hall where the Queen can host 170 of her besties. The castle has its own private chapel, St. George's Chapel, with elaborately decorated ceiling. one of the most interesting feature of the castle is the Queen Mary's dollhouse. The most talented craftsmen of the day made miniatures for the dollhouse as gifts to the royal family. It contains silver candlesticks, needlepoint rugs, marble floors as well as real plumbing, electricity, and two working elevators. |
Read: T. H. White's The Once and Future King, an enchanting account of King Arthur - the 5th century monarch who inspired round tables everywhere
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Watch: Downton Abbey, a BBC import about royalty and those who serve them, to learn the kind of table manors you'd need to dine at Windsor
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Listen: Music from Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee, a celebration of 50 years in office that was like the best birthday party ever
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Taste: Croque monsieur and warm frites - we ate at a French restaurant in Eton, which is heresy and a reminder of how very narrow the English Channel is
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