Last Day in London

On our third and final day in London we made our way to the Paddington train station to catch a train to Windsor.  Our train ride there was packed.  Irv and Shi had to stand up while I was fortunate to have a seat.  (Thankfully, I was traveling with two gentlemen.)

The public transportation system in Europe is great!  This country could really learn a lot from them.  I wonder what European visitors think when they come to our country for a visit and realize that the public transportation system really sucks (unless you're in a big city).

Once again I had pre-purchased our tickets so we didn't have to wait in the very long line to get in.  Irv and I had visited Windsor about 27 years ago with our girls and it was exactly as I remembered it except for all the security.

The castle has incredible gardens in what used to be the moat area.

William the Conqueror started the construction of this site in about 1070 to guard the western approach to London.  Monarchs have added to it over the years.  It became a royal residence by the Tudor kings in the middle ages.

I don't know how these guards stand so still for so long with their massive fur hats.

The round tower and stone walls are very impressive. 

Something that I really appreciated about the many sites we visited were the audio tours.  For a minimal fee they loan you a recorded tour and headphones that you can listen to as you take a self tour.

Here's the beautiful St. George's Chapel.

Our American princess, Meghan Markle, and Prince Harry were married here last year.  I really expected that once Meghan heard some of her American comrades where in the area that she'd invite us over for tea since she lives at the Frogmore Cottage at Windsor.  No such luck though.

We got to tour the state rooms of the palace some of which were destroyed by a fire in 1992.  They've done an excellent job of restoring everything.  No photos were allowed on the tour so you'll have to take my word for it.  

Once we finished the tour we were escorted out into a downpour of rain.  This time, we were prepared with our rain gear.

Afterwards we decided to explore the streets of the town of Windsor.  It was a nice place and there were surprisingly few tourists which made it even better.

By this time it was time to eat.  We were indecisive about where and what we wanted to eat then Shi suggested we go back to Camden Market.  We all thought that was an excellent idea so we loaded back up on train then transferred to the Tube to get to Camden Town.

They have an incredible outdoor food market that has any kind of food you can imagine.

We found a table then everyone went their own direction to get food that looked good.

Shi found a noodle place that must have been delicious because he went back a second time.  I'm pretty sure this is where the cool people in London hang out.  Irv and I were out of place, but I think if Shi lived in London this would be where to find him on the weekend.

On the walk home from Camden to our flat the first night Irv and I indulged in this decedent treat--a waffle filled with strawberries, bananas, and Nutella.  Yum, was it delicious, but we chose not to have another which is a decision I still regret!

We walked the 1 1/4 miles to our flat, took a little rest and then headed out to see Hamilton (again, I'd purchased tickets months before).  We got to the closest Tube station only to discover that it was closed for a couple hours.  A little panic set in when we realized we might be late for the curtain, but luckily we were able to walk to another station and find an alternate route.

When we arrived at our destination Irv and I were busily trying to figure out how to find the Victoria Palace Theater with Google Maps.  Then Shi said "it's right over there".  It made me think of one of my favorite quotes:

"Don't miss the trees for the forest".  

One should always take time to access the whole situation before becoming engrossed in the details.

At the end of our trip Shi said his favorite thing was the performance of Hamilton.  It made me proud to know I have a grandson who appreciates the arts.  It also made me a little embarrassed to be from the U.S.  At one point in the musical the subject was immigrants and two actors gave each other a high five and said something to the effect of "Immigrants get things done".  The entire audience erupted in applause because we all know what they're referring to.  It was a great moment.

So that was the end of our London sight seeing.  Next up is Scotland.

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