Windsor
At 8:30 AM, after a huge breakfast, we departed to take the train out to Windsor castle. There was some nice chatting on the train ride out to Windsor with some of the group that I hadn’t spent much time with yet, talking about our beloved pets.
It was another lovely day! We had some time before we were scheduled to go in, so we got to take a peek around the town or watch the guards change.
Stephen distributed the return train tickets to everyone, and we were free to explore the castle and town, and return to London at our own pace. The tickets were supposed to be for group travel, but I was able to travel back to London separately without any issue.
The castle and grounds were picturesque, and the historical state rooms were sumptuous. The state apartments were covered wall to wall and floor to ceiling with paintings and embellishments. Everything was draped in red or gilded. Unfortunately, there was no photography allowed inside.
One of my favorite things were the fascinating collection of treasures that have been given to the monarchy from all the reaches of the British empire!
Some of those things were on display in the Grand Vestibule, like a Polynesian bird feather capelet, and a bejeweled, golden tiger’s head bust from India.
Then I got in to see Queen Mary’s dollhouse. It’s quite large and has miniature cars, servants quarters, a wine cellar and a garden. It has electricity, running water, and working elevator.
I did not get to go into St. George’s chapel to pay my respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II. The line to get in was, unfortunately, too long for me.
Afterwards, I checked out Windsor village, and I stopped for a banoffee flavored ice cream at a local vendor on my way out. It was so yummy! I’m not normally into banana ice cream, but it was good.
London Eye
I had to quickly get back to London for my reservation on the London Eye!
I was able to get through the line quickly, because I had a reservation and because I was a single person and could be slotted in to any carriage that had space for one more person.
The ride was about 30 minutes in a glass-enclosed cabin with 15 other people, all of whom are jockeying to get the best views and take selfies. The cabin was stuffy, and probably the worst thing you could do it you are avoiding COVID.
The views were nice, but my honest opinion is that Rick Steves was right not to include this on the Best of London tour.
It was on my bucket list though, so I got to cross that off!
Shoreditch Street Art Walk
Following that, I traveled up to the Shoreditch area, and had a marvelous buffalo ranch chicken sandwich at Butchies. It really hit the spot!
I spent the next hour walking up and down the streets between Old Street station and the Brick Lane area, looking at street art in a self guided tour.
The neat thing about street art is that its always being changed into a new and unique experience.
Jack the Ripper Tour
I finished up at about 7 PM in front of Aldgate Tower, in time for a Jack the Ripper tour.
At this time of year, it doesn’t get dark in London until after 9pm, so I have been making full use of the long days to see as much as possible. The downside to this is that the Jack the Ripper tour was not creepy when done in broad daylight.
The guide took a group of about 25 people to locations that are near, or related to, the murders of Jack the Ripper’s victims, with added context.
The tour ended with an invitation to a local pub, the Hoop and Grapes. I had a half pint of cider and a sticky toffee pudding that was scrumptious.
Total steps: 26,820
Staycation No More 