Windsor Castle

2 tubes, a train and a lot of walking. It takes a bit to get to Windsor Castle.

A long, winding hill awaits before the eventual arrival to the castle. Any trip to Merry Olde England has so many ‘must visits’ and this is certainly one to include.

Visit as early in the morning as your well-being and the weather permits as you will avoid at least some of the crowds. In addition, the return down the hill is not only easier (duh!), but has a wide variety of places to sit your tired butt, have a bite and a brew and just watch the world go by.

As many pictures as you can take outside the castle are met with just as many as you Can’t take inside the castle. Understandable, and yet, regrettable. Around every corner, inside every room and covering every ceiling are views that will accompany you only in your personal memory banks…not your camera. One thing for certain, I think, is that you will absolutely have at least one WOW moment.

The Doll House, for instance is basically a cube, somewhat over 3 feet on a side. Built on a 1/12th scale it has around 40 different rooms, all perfect within themselves. Under the doll house, 3 sides open to reveal a 5 car garage (with 5 cars and motorbike with sidecar), a fully stocked wine cellar (bottles are full with real, rare and vintage wines) and a floral garden. The hot and cold running water and electricity are also fully functional.

And that is just in one relatively small room, in one area of the castle.

A rather larger room, is the main formal dining area. It’s singular outstanding feature is the table. And why not? Fully decked and extended, it will seat 1 7 0 guests. (The one in the doll house only seats 14 but it was completely set ready for a format reception. Cutlery, glasses, plates, napkins, candelabras, flowers…Com-Plete! – the real main one wasn’t). Now think about the size of the room that will house that table, and guests, and serving staff, and walking around room…

The King’s bedroom is at least 25 – 30 feet square. That is next door to a similarly sized King’s dressing room which, in turn, is beside another similarly sized King’s closet

There is even the King’s own dining room.  Much larger than those other rooms (although not the same scale as the previously mentioned formal one).

Everything is on such a grandiose scale it’s often hard to grasp even while standing in the middle of it.  The Long Walk, for instance, is 3 miles long!  Certainly aptly named.

Today Windsor Castle serves as the Queen’s summer residence, but outside of that it welcomes people from around the world.  It is entirely self-supporting from the monies it receives from people visiting the castle.  It gets no benefit from taxes or from the British public.

As with other parts of Europe, there is no shortage of castles and palaces in almost any direction.  Tomorrow brings another.