2013 - August 19th-20th - Windsor Castle, Windsor, and Heathrow to LAX!

It's now the 19th of August and we leave for Lakewood tomorrow. The usual question, "where has the time gone", but looking back at all that we have seen and done, nothing could have been better. After our last breakfast at The Owls Retreat, we packed up our bags for our final journey in that Vauxhall Infinity. It's off to Windsor outside of London to tour the castle and the city. We didn't have enough time in 2010 to tour Windsor Castle, so Ray and Sandra made sure that we would complete that mission on this trip. So we add another 200 miles to our 1375 Scotland road trip and another 125 or so for our excursions around Yeoford, and we probably did over 1600 road miles. Thank you Ray for all of that courageous driving, getting through the towns and villages, getting to our destinations, and looping though the famous English round-abouts! Sandra booked us at the Castle Hotel right in the main section of Windsor, within walking distance to everything including Windsor Castle. We have never been disappointed and the Castle Hotel isn't disappointing either!

We checked into our rooms and then headed off to Windsor Castle ... a short 5 minute walk. There was a queue, but it went quickly and we were inside in about 20 minutes or so.

Windsor Castle aerial view 

There are just so many great sights at the castle that I'll let the pictures posted and those in our album walk you through. The captions will help you see some of what we wee able to absorb.

The Royal State Apartments at Windsor Castle where the Queen resides when here

Photos are not allowed inside the rooms of Windsor Castle, so these and more were scanned for the album. Be sure to see them all in our photo album link and share some of the magnificence that we saw.

St. George's Hall and the Grand Staircase at Windsor Castle

         

The apartments of the Choristers for St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle

Little did we know that this evening that we would have one of the Choristers who is a member of St. George's Chapel be our waiter at dinner ... a part time job he does when not singing. We had a lovely conversation with him and gained some inside knowledge of the workings of the Chapel. Be sure to see his picture in the album at dinnertime!

 

On the steps of St. George's Chapel across of the Choristers'' apartments

                   

Windsor Castle, St George's Chapel, Burial Spot of King Henry VIII, King Charles I, Jane Seymour Queen of King Henry VIII and an Infant Child of Queen Anne

Windsor Castle, St George's Chapel, the chapel where King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, are buried

Windsor Castle, St George's Chapel, St. George at the west end of the Chapel

The castle is simply fantastic. We got to leisurely stroll the grounds and interiors listening to the audio tour guide. Thank you Ray and Sandra for adding this as a must see and taking us here on our last day. When finished and before dinner, we looked around the City of Windsor. So many interesting buildings, monuments and other sights.

            

                    

Ya gotta love this owner and his sign posting!

Windsor Great Park looking to Windsor Castle

A walk to the river and more Royal Swans!

                     

The Carpenters Arms ... our last dinner in England

... and we did enjoy!

The morning of the 20th, we did some sightseeing and shopping before heading to Heathrow and our flight back to LA. Loved this whimsical phone booth with Kate, The Queen, and Harry

Caffe Nero ... inside joke if you had been on our trip. If you want to know the joke, ask any of the four of us !!!

So that ends our fabulous United Kingdom trip of Scotland, Wales and England. We'll see how many requests come in to any of us on Caffe Nero to determine who went through this entire posting of 20 days! We couldn't ask for better traveling companions, booking agents, travel agents, tour guides, hospitality hosts, drivers, cooks, friends or cousins than what we have in Sandra and Ray. With all of the miles between us, we know it will awhile until we sit together again. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank them for this trip of a lifetime! It was off to Heathrow Airport and Virgin Atlantic Airways for our 11 1/2 hour flight. Good-bye England & the entire UK for all that you hold. We don't want to be strangers, so keep in touch!

                      

Don't miss any of the 156 pictures in this blog story by clicking this photo album link.