Trip to Windsor, 30 March 2015

We boarded the minibus with other missionaries and headed to Windsor.  Upon our arrival, we agreed on a time to meet back at the car park to head home and then all were off on their way.  Since we have been to the castle before, we opted for the city bus tour and shopping.  Sister Freeman joined us for the bus tour.  It lasted almost an hour and took us not only through the town, but to Datchet and Eton.  We had sunshine but a very cold wind was blowing.  We sat on the upper deck of the bus to get a good view.  Bracing the wind paid off with beautiful scenery, buildings, and crossing the Thames (Tems) several times.

The map gives an idea of the route we traveled.

Our tour began on this corner by the castle.

Queen Elizabeth standing in the street.

Weather vane for direction.

This hotel is across the street from the castle.

There are plenty of churches to see.

Street Sights.

Outer part of the castle wall

We headed out of Windsor, into the country to visit Datchet and Eton.

Riding along side the Thames.

A beautiful tudor building in Datchet.

Of course, a church in Datchet.

Spying another bridge while crossing the Thames.

Back on the road with Eton ahead.

The architecture is amazing.  We were so lucky to have bright skies.

William and Harry attended Eton.  It is the school of choice for the royal family.

Going down the streets of Eton.

A bridge that is no longer used by vehicles.

The Watermans Arms is the oldest pub in the area.  It is a former 16th century workhouse.

Church in Eton.

The Tom Brown Tailors are the makers of the uniforms for Eton.  They have been for a few centuries and continue to do so.

This lamp post in Eton is a well known gathering place for students in taking a break from class and chatting with classmates and friends.

The tour guide gave a history of Eton, with it being built in 1440, with 70 slots open for poor boys.  Others attend on scholarship.  About 1,000 students apply each year for the 250 available slots

When the school first began, it was not that easy for a student to live here.  There was no running water or plumbing.  The boys washed in the icy cold water of the Thames and there was no heating in the buildings.  That meant they were cold all of the time and had only two meals a day; one at noon and one at 6 p.m., with the menu being the same day in and day out.  They did not drink water as it could cause sickness so they were given wine to drink.  It sounds like a bit of a dreary life, but then that was what the boys knew and they adapted to the environment.  Riding this bus has gotten me very cold, and to be this cold all the time is hard to imagine.

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Sports is an important part of Eton.  Each student is required two hours of participation in a sport each day.  This is just one of the sports fields we passed.

Sports field maintenance building.

A student practicing his running.

With spring edging its way in, the countryside was a beautiful mixture of greens and browns.

The Royal Farm occupies the land around the castle and provides crops for sale.  A school is provided for the children of the employees to attend.

They are hard to see, but behind the trees, against the fence, are the royal cows.  You can see a white one.  They provide all the dairy needs for the castle as well as products that are sold.

This is the gate to the Windsor Farm.  We were told this is where the queen and royal family enter when they come to the castle.  We didn't go in here, we went in another gate below, where we visited the Farm Shop.

You can see the castle in the distance from the wall of the Farm Shop.  The expanse of land around the castle is amazing.

Will we make it through the gate?

 

Yikes!  This will be close!  

These British bus drivers sure can maneuver tight spaces!

 Swans on the Thames in Windsor.

 The bus tour ended back at the castle just in time for us to see the guards going back to the barracks.

Toy soldiers!

We finished our trip with shopping the shops and having lunch at Patisserie Valerie, a French eatery.  Dad had a full English breakfast and I had a mozzarella avocado pesto baguette with french fries.  The french fries were real fries, just like at home!  They were delicious.  We both enjoyed the meal.  By the time we headed back to the minibus at 3:30 p.m., the clouds had rolled in and the temperature was dropping.  We were happy to be heading home.  In the minibus, we all shared our adventures of the day.  Sister Freeman had walked to where her ancestors had lived in the 1800's.  She then went to the library and photoed records indicating their existence in Windsor.  James Merrick was a table decorator at the castle.