Windsor Castle
Dec. 3rd, 2012 07:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
windemereStill adjusting to this new format for everything on LJ. It's very modern looking. Not entirely sure yet. But I can type properly again in order to post, so that's certainly a good improvement!
So, I intended to go to Windsor yesterday. I've never been, though I've visited both Buckingham and Holyrood, the two other royal palaces. Windsor is, of course, by far the oldest, as it was originally constructed (well, a bit of it was) 900 years ago, so it's the original royal castle of the British monarchy. And the Queen was even home!
Anyways, because I am SUCH A NICE PERSON and I CAN'T SAY NO TO PEOPLE, I ended up leading the trip. It was for the international students association, and the guy who runs it, Yasin, happens to be the boyfriend of one of my fellow PhD students in MS. And he's a really, really nice guy, don't get me wrong. He's so nice, that it's kind of hard to say no to him, because you know if you asked him a favour he'd do it in a heartbeat. So, last week he called and asked if I'd run the trip, because he couldn't go anymore. And I said, 'of course'! And then I got off the phone and said 'shit'.
Well, a lot of things went wrong. It could have been a nice easy trip to Windsor for the day (if a very, very long one), but because some students go out of their way to be thoughtless and because of other things that no one had control over (traffic jam), it was just a very long exhausting stressful day and I was so HAPPY to go to bed last night you have NO IDEA.
But, in amidst all that, Windsor was beautiful. I mean, tourist central and no mistaking it! And even though it was December it was so very crowded. But the town is very cute, and Eton college is a nice walk across the river, and the castle is very beautiful. Especially in the winter sunlight. And the Queen, at least, was home, so probably Prince Philip too, and who knows who else. Maybe the rest of the family as Kate is in London in hospital with morning sickness, says the news, as she is now pregnant. Poor woman.
Anyways, I'll post a few pictures eventually (still on my camera and this week? NOT A GOOD TIME), but the castle is a masterpiece and I think much prettier than Holyrood and much less um...overdone, than Buckingham. And much grander than, say, Kensington. It kind of reminded me of Hampton Court, except it was built before Henry VIII, though he did add to it, as did most monarchs up to and including Queen Victoria.
Anyways, you can only get into the State Apartments, because the rest is where people actually live and work, and it was Sunday, so St George's Chapel was closed too (where Henry VIII and Jane Seymour are entombed), but oh well. The entry ticket is good for a year so maybe I'll go back next summer! And I saw one of the Queen's corgies being walked in the garden!
Anyways, glad that is over with. Took today off because work? yeah, that wasn't happening. I still had to answer emails, post a few announcements online and have a short meeting though, even on a day off. Tomorrow I have training, Wed. is a day-long artists' seminar, and Thurs/Fri are marking presentations. But, after my meeting today I have about 500 Pounds worth of work coming my way in the next month, so yay!!! I can pay rent in January! Wee! And more in work in March too. That I think I'll put aside for the Camino. A few hundred pounds might last a few weeks in Euros in Spain. Or at least pay for flights/train travel.
Also, I still owe Ross a week of work, and have since July. Not sure when I will have to do that! But I will have to, as he paid me for it already! Oops. Still, it was very useful having the money at the time.
Dinner. Telly. Bed. Freeze. Hat tonight, me thinks.
So, I intended to go to Windsor yesterday. I've never been, though I've visited both Buckingham and Holyrood, the two other royal palaces. Windsor is, of course, by far the oldest, as it was originally constructed (well, a bit of it was) 900 years ago, so it's the original royal castle of the British monarchy. And the Queen was even home!
Anyways, because I am SUCH A NICE PERSON and I CAN'T SAY NO TO PEOPLE, I ended up leading the trip. It was for the international students association, and the guy who runs it, Yasin, happens to be the boyfriend of one of my fellow PhD students in MS. And he's a really, really nice guy, don't get me wrong. He's so nice, that it's kind of hard to say no to him, because you know if you asked him a favour he'd do it in a heartbeat. So, last week he called and asked if I'd run the trip, because he couldn't go anymore. And I said, 'of course'! And then I got off the phone and said 'shit'.
Well, a lot of things went wrong. It could have been a nice easy trip to Windsor for the day (if a very, very long one), but because some students go out of their way to be thoughtless and because of other things that no one had control over (traffic jam), it was just a very long exhausting stressful day and I was so HAPPY to go to bed last night you have NO IDEA.
But, in amidst all that, Windsor was beautiful. I mean, tourist central and no mistaking it! And even though it was December it was so very crowded. But the town is very cute, and Eton college is a nice walk across the river, and the castle is very beautiful. Especially in the winter sunlight. And the Queen, at least, was home, so probably Prince Philip too, and who knows who else. Maybe the rest of the family as Kate is in London in hospital with morning sickness, says the news, as she is now pregnant. Poor woman.
Anyways, I'll post a few pictures eventually (still on my camera and this week? NOT A GOOD TIME), but the castle is a masterpiece and I think much prettier than Holyrood and much less um...overdone, than Buckingham. And much grander than, say, Kensington. It kind of reminded me of Hampton Court, except it was built before Henry VIII, though he did add to it, as did most monarchs up to and including Queen Victoria.
Anyways, you can only get into the State Apartments, because the rest is where people actually live and work, and it was Sunday, so St George's Chapel was closed too (where Henry VIII and Jane Seymour are entombed), but oh well. The entry ticket is good for a year so maybe I'll go back next summer! And I saw one of the Queen's corgies being walked in the garden!
Anyways, glad that is over with. Took today off because work? yeah, that wasn't happening. I still had to answer emails, post a few announcements online and have a short meeting though, even on a day off. Tomorrow I have training, Wed. is a day-long artists' seminar, and Thurs/Fri are marking presentations. But, after my meeting today I have about 500 Pounds worth of work coming my way in the next month, so yay!!! I can pay rent in January! Wee! And more in work in March too. That I think I'll put aside for the Camino. A few hundred pounds might last a few weeks in Euros in Spain. Or at least pay for flights/train travel.
Also, I still owe Ross a week of work, and have since July. Not sure when I will have to do that! But I will have to, as he paid me for it already! Oops. Still, it was very useful having the money at the time.
Dinner. Telly. Bed. Freeze. Hat tonight, me thinks.
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no subject
Date: 2012-12-03 08:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-03 08:49 pm (UTC)So Kate had to go to hospital from morning sickness? That's probably because she seems to live on one rice cake a day. Now is the time to eat a cheeseburger!!
no subject
Date: 2012-12-04 09:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-04 08:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-04 09:45 am (UTC)I loved the doll house, and wished it wasn't so crowded inside that you were sort of herded along without being able to really stop. Like most tourist places, I guess. Rest of the apartments weren't as busy or enclosed, which was nice!