The Sister Holiday [The Final Installment!]

Hilary and I trained in from Paris to London early on a Saturday morning. After a quick bite to eat we caught the underground out to Heathrow, checked into our hotel, and caught a cab out to Windsor.

Windsor is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world, and it was really incredible to visit this castle.

These pictures are of the exterior of the castle, as pictures were not allowed inside.

In addition to seeing the grounds and the exterior of the palace, we were able to see the following: the State Apartments, Queen Mary's Doll Houses, and the Drawing Galleries.

The Queens' Gardens

Hilary just taking it all in!

A real, live guard --- and he was really marching around. Splendid!

Pretty magnificent!

I'm sure no one else ever does this.  *Wink!*

How could we resist!?!?

The above building is St. George's Chapel, which unfortunately was closed when we were there due to someone getting married. Can you even imagine getting married there??? I did do some inquiring as to who was getting married at the Queens' residence. What we learned was: 1) it could be royalty of some kind, or 2) it could be an employee. If you work at the Queen's palace, you have the privilege of being able to get married there. Pretty incredible! Any future brides out there should plan ahead and get a job at Windsor Castle!

Hilary and I were also convinced that those hanging out in the background of the above photograph were the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. They looked like a dead ringer from 100 yards away.

After visiting the castle, we toured the small city of Windsor. The town had tons of cute shops and restaurants, and you could even have your photo made dressed up as someone from the wild, wild west. (Weird!)

Surely you can tell from the pictures that the town has charm! It was darling. I'd be happy to live there!

A tip on visiting Windsor: Windsor is only about 10 kilometers from Heathrow Airport (depending on what terminal you're at). Instead of catching a London cab out to Windsor, call a Windsor taxi ahead and they'll give you a much better rate! Hilary and I were transferred from the Sofitel at Heathrow to Windsor in high style for a much better rate than we would have been given from a London cabbie!

In other news: I totally miss my sister! I want her to live in Edinburgh with me!!!

Made in Dagenham is an interesting film inspired by the true story of English women striking against Ford in 1968 in order to have equal pay. They were the first women that went on strike against Ford Motor Company. Their union hardly supported them --- yet they were the impetus to the Equal Pay Act of 1970 in Great Britain. Fascinating stuff! Plus the hairstyles, clothing, and accents will make you smile. It's definitely worth a watch!

Stradford-upon-Avon

Stradford-upon-Avon is a lovely town well-known for its famous former resident: William Shakespeare.

It has a river running through it .....

And one of its most notable attractions is the church where Shakespeare is buried:

Holy Trinity Church -- place of William Shakespeare's Burial

Another must-stop is the Guildhall:

Take a close look, and you'll see original albeit faded paintings of the town's history.

This chapel has allegedly been kept the same as it was during Shakespeare's time. It was built by the Guild of the Holy Cross in the fourteenth century.

It's also a place filled with tourists!

While there are plenty of locally-owned shops, there are also plenty of high streets' best known retailers and restaurateurs. A bit strange for a town filled with very, very old buildings and so much history!

And what would a charming English town be without a bit of punting?

Charming!

Two Tasty Tidbits

This past weekend in the Cotswolds, we discovered several delightful things. Here are two that will interest your sweet tooth:

First of all, let me introduce you to Spot Loggins ice cream.

Spot Loggins is called the "supernatural dairy" -- and rightfully so. I've never tasted such delicious and rich vanilla ice cream. We were bragging to our friends about the delights of Scottish ice cream, especially Mackies. Their reply? Wait until you try Spot Loggins. And it's true. This ice cream hailing from the Vale of Evesham is a family-run business. Though generations old, the family still lives and works on the farm. If you're headed to the Cotswolds, make sure to have a bowl of Spot Loggins at the Fleece Inn -- the only pub owned and operated by the National Trust. (And if you try the asparagus flavor, let me know how that goes!)

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Let me also introduce you to The Pudding Club.  Now this is a fun idea!  Allegedly called the Eighth Wonder of the World, the Pudding Club was founded in 1985 at the Three Ways Hotel. With a concern for the disappearing "British Pud," the Pudding Club was established to "raise the spoon to the British Pud." Here's how it works - the club hosts weekly meetings where anyone can join in by paying a fee and sampling all the pudding delights. A vote is later taken on the best pudding of the night. The Pudding Club now is quite the entity. It boasts a hotel, restaurant, recipe books, and products sold to Waitrose. Now that's a good excuse to go peruse the dessert aisle at Waitrose!

Walk Through the Cotswolds

Join me on a walk through the Cotswolds to a nearby village ......

Walking through the fields of wheat

....  and through the gentle, rolling hills dotted with sheep

Cast your eyes on very old trees

.... trees with little guys hanging out beneath. Have you spotted him?

Is there another word for "heavenly"? I think I need it in my vocabulary. 

All the gold hues does my heart good. 

And the flowers! All the flowers are practically therapeutic, too!

It doesn't get more charming than this.

Would you like to move in to this one?

Or this one?

I'll take any cottage on that street!

Even with gray skies, this place is alluring.

More cottages & charm!

Ready to pack your suitcase?