I made it to Jolly Ole England.
The flights were uneventful — always a good omen and a welcomed relief when traveling — and there was an even grander delight when I arrived at the hotel. They had a room available for me. Huzzah! (It was before 8 AM and check-in wasn’t until 3 PM.) I was registered, keyed and pointed in the direction of my room in no time at all…with a final invite to partake in the (included) morning meal now being served.
Tempting as it was (and you might find this hard to believe), I uncharacteristically skipped the proffered complimentary hotel breakfast buffet in favor of a bit of shut-eye, rationalizing that the very odd airline tray of eggs’n’stuff I’d had earlier was a sufficient morning repast.
After some basic unpacking, washing off of the travel grime, and blatantly ignoring the first rule of adjusting to a new time zone (“Stay awake for the day to reset your body’s clock.”), I took a two hour plus nap before re-dressing and heading out to discover this royal hamlet, Windsor.
What is one to do in Windsor when one must purposefully avoid the elephant in the town (The Castle) which is on tomorrow’s agenda? The Internet provided a convenient little checklist of about a dozen “must see” sites of which I could defer the four castle-related ones. The rest seemed to be close at hand.
Actually, my ride in from Heathrow traveled down the main route through touristy Windsor: a winding road lined with shops, teeming with people and eventually dominated by the castle walls looming above. Even prior to finding some specific goals, I had already decided to walk the lengths of High and Thames Street. I was pleased to discover that most of the “points of interest” I was seeking were either on or closely adjacent to this main artery.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF WINDSOR
A TRIPPY SIDEBAR
I made my first purchase with cash at lunch, breaking a twenty pound note. It took me some time to remember that there had been a design change to the ten pound note that one could almost call prophetic: Jane Austen is on the £10 note.
THE QUEST BEGINS
First stop: the Bachelors Acre, a green space just down from the hotel’s driveway, that features a sculpture devoted to the late monarch and her beloved Corgis.
There are other royal markers about as well. There was an obelisk at the park entrance that, upon first reading, seemed to be a celebrating a…BBQ?
A bit more respectable is the iron marker found in the park’s sidewalk. I’m not sure what defines the Queen’s Walkway, but I was to discover other markers later in the city’s pavement, so there must be a defined reason and route. And it is a very nice marker…maybe a notch above the stars on Hollywood Blvd, I think.
Leaving the green, it took two left turns to reach High Street/Thames Street (same street, name changed) where I began weaving in and out of the teeming swarms of tourists and locals alike in search of my “Sites of Windsor” as I made my way to the Thames River.
But not before I am drawn into the sanctuary of a random old church. This one happens to be the Windsor Parish Church, the home of a royally-bequeathed painting of the Last Supper that, after many owners and locations, has finally found a home on the western wall of this old building. It’s no Michaelangelo…but it’s theirs.
Back on the street, I continued dodging the crowds before detouring into the Windsor Royal Station, a still-operational train depot-cum-shopping mall.
After admiring the displayed steam engine and noting the many coffee shops (and some think America is coffee-obsessed!), I exited the former station and found my way over to the shopping mecca that is Peascod Street, a commercial avenue that is kept honest under the watchful eyes of her Majesty, Queen Victoria, whose statue is situated at the street’s end.
Back once more on High or Thames Street (I’m not sure exactly where the name changes), I proceeded to River Street and the shores of the Thames River.
The wind was a little brisker than expected, keeping my time on the river bank short. I was amazed at both the swift flow of the river here–I am more familiar with the lazier London Thames–and the number of swans paddling about everywhere.
Heading for warmer climes, I turned back towards the city center to continue my search and to take a break with a nice, hot cup of coffee. (It almost seemed a requirement!)
There’s an old adage about finding what you’re looking for in your own back yard. Well, who’d o’thought that three of my objectives were almost directly across the street from the hotel?
The Shortest Street in Britain (Queen Charlotte Street)…running parallel to the Famous Crooked House…which is situated next to the Windsor Guildhall (where Prince-now-King Charles married the Queen Consort-now-Queen Camilla in a civil ceremony in 2005.) Three birds, one stone, eh?
* As the story goes, when Sir Christopher Wren designed the Guildhall, there were no pillars supporting the ceiling of the covered porch because his design made them superfluous. However, the citizens of Windsor were fearful that the ceiling would collapse and demanded Sir Wren fix this shortcoming. His solution was to place decorative (read: non-functional) columns that reach up to but do not actually touch the ceiling. Fears were allayed and his structure has, over time, proven more than capable of supporting itself...as designed.
The last site located today was the Ancient Well. Unless you need a spot to rest your weary bones, there’s not much to recommend this “attraction” (much less merit a photo) even with a free-standing (but useless) red phone box nearby as a lure .
With my Windsor punch list mostly complete, I decided to quaff a pint in yet another ubiquitous English institution: the pub. At the Two Brewers, I chose their tap of the week, only to be reminded later that I’d had that very beer in the States back when Rob and I were drinking our way through the Cleveland Beer Passport.
Later in the evening, as twilight came to Windsor, I left the hotel, made my way to the Castle Kebab & Grill, and brought a chicken doner and a Diet Coke back to my room for dinner.
12,974S/6.1M
Dave In Austenland 