Just heading to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath
The bus trip to Windsor Castle is 1:30 hours and although the coach is described as luxury it has about the leg room of economy seats on a flight.
Arrived at Windsor and walked up to the castle from the bus (about 10 minutes) and waited in the long queue but they handled the crowds quite well. Passed through the metal detectors and had camera and phone x-rayed just like at the airport.
The flag flying on the tower show that the queen is at Windsor today. The Union Jack is flown if she is not in at the castle. This is not normal. She considers Windsor her home and Buckingham Palace as her office. Windsor is used for ceremonial occasions.
Windsor is right under one of Heathrow's approach path's and there are aircraft passing overhead every few minutes.
The walk up to the castle after the entrance
This is the first view of the castle after passing through the entrance. They run guided tours every half-hour. I was just in time for one of those so I went with that. It is much better than the audio guide units that they provide.These are fine if there is no tour guide. Each exhibit has number which you type in and the unit plays the related audio.
The castle is very imposing.
This is a plaque showing the emblem of the Order of the Garter
The area beyond the barred gate is the original jousting field for Windsor Castle but is now used for ceremonial purposes. In the building beyond is what would be described as banquet hall.
This is is the base of the stone tower that replaced the original wooden structure on this site. (Wikipedia)
This arch leads to the a courtyard off which the Royal Library (Currently under renovation) which includes a large number of Da Vinci drawings.
The arch was never designed for modern vehicles which sometime lose a paint passing through the arch. The worst has been a fire engine during the big fire at Windsor.
The changing of the guard. It was a very warm day and I was just in T-Shirt and Shorts. I don't know how the soldiers deal with the heat on the parade ground.
The other parts of the castle that are open to the public (St. George's Chapel, State Apartments) don't allow for photography (Wikipedia)
I did learn something. I have been listening to a number of audio books by an author named Connie Willis. A lot of them is set in St. Pauls Cathedral and the book talks about the the choir which I assumed was the seating for the choir but it is actually spelt quire and the modern spelling choir.
The feeling of history standing in a church that has been on that site for 600 years. It is also the home church of the Order of the Garter. The Order consists of 24 knights and when one dies another is selected to replace them. On the death of Margaret Thatcher a vacancy exists in the order. After a period of mourning of a year the queen will select a new knight.
In the Quire of the church a plaque is placed for each knight and these date back to the founding of the Order. Each plaque has the helmet of the knight above it.
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