Monday, January 23rd, 2017 - A Royal Tourist

Having grown up in Australia, the Queen was always an important person in my life. When Prince Charles attended the Timbertop school in Victoria, I was certain that he would see me one day and at that instant know I was his true love! So I always held this place that could have been my home in a special part of my consciousness! (Oh, we can be so glad teenage fantasies are often not realized!) I was pleased to discover that Windsor was in Berkshire when I was looking for the St. Giles Church. I had not visited Windsor in my previous excursions to this fair land, and others told me it is worth the visit, so I took the hour and a half train ride to visit this fine castle.  Now, there are many castles in the world - in various states of ruin, so I approached a bit of a skeptic. The whole 'seen one, seen them all' thought was in my mind, a more recent intrusion on my childhood fantasies. Perhaps it's been too long since I've hauled around Gothic cathedrals and the like, because I came away really impressed! (Thanks for encouraging me to go, Sarah Lamp.)

Often when I arrive at a new place, out comes Google Maps to help me figure out where to go next. That was not necessary here.As soon as I stepped out of the station I could clearly see where I was headed! The location was strategically chosen for natural defense against enemy and marauders!

The scale of the castle is enormous, really a village enclosed within its walls. They've had a while to work on it, as it is, the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world. William the Conqueror began its construction in 1070!

Happily on this winters day the number of other tourists was light. There were groups of school children and a few other European and Japanese tourists, but it was pleasant to be able to wander quietly.

One is able to visit the St. George's Chapel, The State Apartments and Queen Anne's Doll House, but inside photos were not permitted, so you only get to see the outside. I enjoyed the tiered garden below the Round Tower. It looks as if it might have been a most at one time, but the garden is much more attractive and less smelly!

St. George's Chapel on the left is where the Order of the Garter holds it's ceremonies and is the place where many Kings are buried. In the Center is the Round Tower and on the right are residences.



The wood carving inside was intricate and beautiful. On the outside, symbols of royalty were still as sharp as when first carved (although a little stained), while the gargoyles were starting to show signs of wear. I liked this monkey playing the bagpipes! Perhaps an early form of bigotry against the Celts?

The scale is so vast, that is it is hard to photograph adequately. I also objected to cars cluttering up the scene, so I have select photos that show areas of interest to me in an attractive way (I hope). I really liked little spaces like this little courtyard to the north of St. George's Chapel that have a variety of styles mixed together - the beautiful gothic windows below with the more tudor style brick and wood addition that is much less elegant! I also love the type of surfaces to the top right where years of patching result in a mish mash of different surfaces are revealed.

Below St. George's Chapel was a pretty area called the Horsehoe Cloisters. Like this building, off to the side,  it is the brick and wooden construction and is the area where the choristers live.

The North Terrace was a favorite spot of mine. I spent quite a bit of time there. I read that Henry VIII built it and used it to watch the hunt below and for practice target shooting. Queen Elizabeth I solidified and expanded it and she liked to use it as a promenade. Somewhere it indicated that she didn't like being out there when it was windy as it would mess up her hair!

The view to the Thames River, below, was serene on this foggy day, with the Eton playing fields in active use on the other side of the river.

I spent a lot of time in the State Apartments. The artwork and artifacts are impressive. I wish I could show you photos - but it's probably just as well they're not permitted, as I could have never finished this blog and you would be too weary by now. I will say I was most impressed with the reconstruction that has been done to repair the damage from the fire in 1992. Beautiful use of English oak to create sweeping ceilings and gothic columns and elaborations. I imagine modern craftsmen have relished the chance to work on such a project and keep old skills alive.

As the day ends, the solitude of the guides continuing their vigil was very poignant to me. This is the North Terrace again.

The personnel outside wore cozy capes with the red trimming of the Georgian livery. They look exactly like the bobby's cape I used to have in the 60's, with its chained closure between two lions heads. But the trim of red at the neck and cuff make it unique to Windsor Castle. This section near the exit from the State Apartments look very Hogwarts!

Here's a closer view of the uniform. There are slits in the cape that allow arms to be used for tasks that require hands, but in the cold, the cape allows less body heat to escape. The cuffs of the uniform sleeves are also red. I so appreciated seeing the woman on the left also being able to wear her hajib while in her uniform. An inclusive flexibility.

Of course, I wanted to know where Queen Elizabeth II lives when she's in residence. Again, hard to get a good photo, but the Private Wing is the left corner of this photo.

As the day came to a close, the glow of lights within the buildings added a layer of warmth to this otherwise cold and stony place.



And a constant presence throughout were the sentries. Very muted here. No spectacular colors of costumes. Just a few nice pleats at the back of their uniforms and a very persuasive looking semi-automatic weapon at their shoulder. I guess things do get updated from time to time!



While the weapons might get updated, I imagine the cold, solitude and boredom are a timeless companion to these poor souls. It must be mind-numbing work!

This sentry had been on duty down in the Horseshoe Cloister. Was he changing guard? Or is his presence for the benefit of tourists and he is no longer needed there as we go home?

 

A cup of tea in Windsor and a supper of fish and chips were a fitting reminder that the best things in life don't have to be expensive or grand. It was a great way to end the day!