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Published: October 18th 2005
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The Europa Parking Spot
We did not "break" the laying down pole. When back from Windsor, it was fixed. The one by the Smart car came in and out of ground. Well, one entire stormy day driving back to London. I give us a C+ on finding the hotel, again the streets changing names, excuses, excuses. Their one and only parking place has been promised to us as long as we are here and thankfully someone helps Buff park. Next day we see a Smart car, whose owner is very anxious to show it off to us. Pretty cool and roomier on the inside than you would think.
We really only plan to take the car out the one day to Windsor Castle. After that we will Tube or walk everywhere until we drive one last time to the Airport. I could see the relief on Buff's face when we came "home" this day that he would not have to drive anymore. (We've got the route to Heathrow down cold.)
Windsor Castle is neat, much more commercial than I thought it would be. You can even buy postcards of Charles & Camilla and china with their wedding pictures as the pattern. Now the postcards of Prince William I have NO problem understanding. Many a young girl is probably sleeping with one tucked under her pillow. I can't understand why Buff
The Smart Car
I think the owner would have let us take it for a test drive. made me return the dozen I had picked out!
I would show you pictures of the Royal Jewels, but the guards are touchy about that. Take my word for it they are astounding. Queen Elizabeth had her coronation in 1953, the year I was born, and I've always felt close to her in an up-close, royal sort of way. She wasn't at Windsor the day we visited, some foul up in scheduling I think. She'll kick herself when she realizes.
I got a crown for my charm bracelet as a poor substitute for the meeting.
We did see photos of the dramatic fire there a few years ago, how the staff and even a few of the "royals" rushed to saved precious antiquities. Then photos of restoration and how you can't even tell anything happened now.
We also get a rather nice picture of guards going off duty, and had tea (alas without cucumber sandwiches, I did my best my love) before returning to the city. Horrible traffic jam on the M4 due to an overturned lorry.
Next day we take a Big Bus - double decker - tour of London, had a very humorous tourguide
all the way from our hotel to the Tower of London - the first place we wanted to "hop off". Buff got great shots of the London Eye, Parliament & Big Ben and Tower Bridge on the way. I had no idea the Tower of London was really a castle. Buff kept threatening to throw me through the treasoner's gate for a remark I had made at Windsor the day before.
In my defense, everywhere we traveled in the UK and France, the public toilets were accessible, stocked, and very seldom dirty. But my friend the Queen only has one at Windsor Castle, very out of the way, and the one in the town was atrocious. The UK actually has a Public Toilet organization, they award places best improved, etc. and you can tell. It puts things here in the States to shame, where McDonald's is probably the most often used "public toilet".
Anyway we "hop on" the bus to head for Westminster Abbey, which is magnificent; and you can walk so close to it on the outside, I actually found it more overwhelming than Notre Dame. Notre Dame was also partially obscured to us by scaffolding for
Windsor Castle #2
Four Royal Guards retiring for the day. what we assume to be upkeep
We close out the day at Madame Toussand's and without even talking about it, both later say that John Wayne's was the best likeness. It's kind of cheesy, with a Disneyland-like "horror, real murderers" ride and a planetarium show, I guess so you feel like you got your money's worth.
Saturday, we tube to the Camden Locks Market. Oh My! If there was anything you wanted to buy, I think you could find it here and cheap. We found a few more souvenirs, gifts and I got a lovely shawl and last, but not least, a duffle for 5 pounds to get everything home in.
Quick cab ride to Queen's theatre to see a matinee of Les Miserables. Buff found it "slow, but then got in to it". I was just so excited to be at the theatre in London, my heart was racing, or was that from the altitude? We were only 6 rows or so from the top. Great staging all done on a huge rotating drum that was 50% of the stage with minimal props except for the dramatic barricade during the skirmish.
Then, after a little
Parliament & Big Ben
Beatle tunes kept floating in our minds. more shopping - we really are out of room, we tube to the Eye for our flight. It's called a flight, not a ride, because it technically isn't a ferris wheel. It takes 30 minutes to make the complete revolution. I spent a lot of time on the bench in the middle of the pod, but eventually felt comfortable to get up and walk around. Buff took pictures non-stop, every view just made you want to capture it. Unfortunately, because the pod is moving, the shots are all blurry. We were happy to end our trip amongst the other couples (must be the popular date) flying over London.
We tube back to the hotel, pack and get ready to go home tomorrow. The flight home was uneventful, more movies, almost no turbulence, and absolutely no sleep. Buff had me worried that they would take our shoes for spraying in customs, because we had been in pasture; but we breezed through.
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