WINDSOR & ETON

On Monday last, since it was a bank holiday, my friend Jessie and I took a day trip out to Windsor and Eton - the second exciting thing I did last weekend which I meant to post about much earlier than this but oh well I'm going to stop trying to keep a semblance of a timely manner because let's face it I still have photos from June when my sister visited which I'll get to one day probably next year and.... what was I saying?  Windsor.  Right. 

Well, basically, we visited the castle, and... well, unfortunately it's kind of just something you have to go see for yourself because 1) it's stunning and photos don't do it justice, 2) can't take photos inside so you actually do have to go use your eyeballs to see real life things because you won't find them on here, 3) if I tried to describe it all to you now we'd be here forever  (seriously - we all know talking/rambling for ages is not a problem for me, I mean, look at how long this is taking already), and 4) it's possibly definitely an excuse for a trip, and who doesn't like those.  So yes.  Go to Windsor and see the castle.  You can't miss it - it only takes up about half the town.  And pay the pound for the garden as well because it's beautiful and you could possibly even take a little picnic in there for a snacky snack.  I wonder if the queen ever does a barbeque in there?  Seems an awful shame of a waste if she doesn't, really.  Also, on that note, I'd love to see the queen eat BBQ ribs.

After the castle, we were starving because we did not bring a picnic for the garden (shame), and so we headed to a pub for some proper lunch.  On the way we passed the Crooked House and resolved to get tea later that afternoon.

After lunch, we walked round to the Long Walk - a 2.5 mile walk along a single straight lane up to the top of a hill where there was an absolutely massive copper statue of a guy on a horse.  As we walked towards it, we tried to guess who it was.  My friend Jessie originally mentioned George III, but her official guess was George V.  I guessed the Duke of Wellington, though mentioned the slight possibility of it being Napoleon because he was totally the kind of dude who would want massive statues of himself being all important and such.  I should not we also mentioned Hitler because of the way his arm seemed extended from a distance, but first of all, I've never seen Hitler on a horse, and secondly, a statue of Hitler in Windsor made no sense.  In the end, the statue turned out to be of George III.  Point to Jessie!

 From the top of the Long Walk, you could see the spread of the town of Windsor and a straight shot of the castle.  Absolutely stunning.  At the top there are also a bunch of little roads and trails and paths to follow for a country walk if you were that way inclined.  I was a bit, but then was reminded that if we wanted afternoon tea we needed to head back.  As per usual, my stomach won over me and we retraced our steps back to town for a cuppa.  Along the way, we passed a herd of deer, which doesn't really have to do with anything except that they were pretty cute and not at all shy.

 The Crooked House was closed unfortunately, so we went to a tearoom around the corner and had cream tea outside before wandering around the twilit town and over towards Eton, right across the river.  Windsor and Eton are technically separate, though they may as well be one town because they are literally only split by the river, and you can just walk right over the bridge.  Hardly any difference.  But Eton is home to the prestigious Eton College for some very privileged boys.  Princes Wills and Harry both attended Eton, but I always think of Bridget Jones' Diary when Eton is mentioned because I'm pretty sure there's a line in that film where she says they all get sticks up their arses and aren't allowed to take them out.  I'll tell you, I don't care if Wills and/or Harry have this problem - I'd take them regardless.