“You go and save the best for last”

– lyrics to a Vanessa Williams song

WINDSOR

Windsor Castle was the best, grandest and final castle in our 2,752-mile epic journey through England, Wales, and Scotland. Windsor has belonged to the monarchy for almost 1000 years and has been the home of 39 monarchs. Today, Queen Elizabeth II, now into her 70^th remarkable year on the throne, spends most of her private weekends at the Castle. When she’s there, the Royal Standard is flown; otherwise, the Union Flag is flying.

The original castle was built in the 11^th-century after the Norman invasion of England by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I, it’s been the longest-occupied castle in Europe. Little did they know back then that a major international airport would be built just eight miles east with jumbo airplanes flying past every minute.

Windsor Castle grounds covers 13,000 acres, and it combines the features of a fortification, a palace, and a small town. It takes a staff of over five hundred to manage and service the expansive complex.

The State Apartments’ interiors were mostly designed in the early 1800s, with the intention for each room to showcase a particular architectural style, and to display the matching furnishings and fine arts of the period.

Great tapestries adorn its walls and as you move from room-to-room, they’re chock-filled with portraits and busts, sculptures and objets d’art. You forget that you’re hanging out in a royal residence vs. being in a living museum. *** Photos shown are stock pictures; no photography was allowed inside.

There are centuries of masterpieces everywhere you look, with priceless paintings by: Holbein, Rembrandt, Rubens, Canaletto, and van Dyck, amongst many others lining the ornate walls. The art to be found here within the castle can rival or surpass any museum in the world in quality, quantity and certainly in dollar value.

This wasn’t my first visit, and I was wondering where the usual immense crowds were, but due to COVID restrictions, the castle is blessedly on a timed-entry program. Our only wait was the long queue for the Queen Mary’s Dolls House, the largest, most beautiful and famous in all the world. The Queen was a lover of all things miniature, and a famous dolls’ house was created for her at Windsor Castle between 1921 and 1924; designed by the leading architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. It was decided to appear as the type of house a king and queen might live in if “off duty” … an Edwardian town house in full Palladian style (Classical forms, symmetry and strict proportions).

It was furnished by leading artists, craftsmen and designers of the time; a showcase for British workmanship, showing off the best arts and crafts of the day. No detail was forgotten nor too small in presenting this magnificent and opulent house.

It had every modern convenience: electricity, running hot and cold water and working lifts; there’s even a fully-stocked wine cellar! The doll house is every little girl’s dream (sans the wine); with perfection created down to the last detail. There’s even the house mouse – a teeny tiny rodent created by Faberge.

I told David that he was so lucky to be able to experience Windsor Castle without the throngs of the masses pushing along its corridors, frantically getting to their next stop on the tour. It was low key and oh so civilized.

Within the castle walls is the 15^th-century Gothic St. George’s Chapel, a chapel and royal mausoleum. It’s the burial place of ten monarchs, including Henry VIII, and buried by his side is wife #3, Jane Seymour, the only woman he really loved. I guess the other five were just ships passing in the night.

The Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret, was cremated and her ashes were placed in the Royal Vault beneath St. George’s; Prince Philip is interred here as well. St. George’s Chapel was also the setting for the marriage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle four years ago.

Since my last visit, Windsor’s town centre has developed into a major tourist shopping mecca, with a wide variety of shops and restaurants. Of course, souvenir shops abound, and with the upcoming Platinum Jubilee, the merchandise was overflowing onto the sidewalks.

The Queen’s Jubilee was set to begin several days after our departure. The whole town was festively dressed-up and ready for the occasion with the Union Jack abundantly displayed and waving about everywhere you looked.

For our final dinner in England, we met up with friends, Jeff and Damien. Jeff was David’s roommate in their early days living in West Hollywood, L.A.; some 30+ years ago. They’ve maintained their friendship since. We last saw them in January 2015 on our London visit when David proposed marriage! In conversation, we found out that Jeff has lived in England more years than he’s lived in the States; now that’s a true expat.

The Boatman, a gastropub, would be our dining venue sitting on the River Thames, overlooking Eton Bridge and a stone’s throw away from Eton College. We sat outside on the terrace and would watch the sun slowly set during our reunion. David and I were somewhat bundled up in the brisk air, but Jeff and Damien were comfortably dressed.

Dinner: of course, it had to be Fish ‘n Chips for the finale, and for dessert – a sticky toffee pudding. Jeff and Damien ordered up an Eton Mess, a traditional dessert consisting of a mix of strawberries, meringue, and whipped cream! Perhaps described as a Pavlova gone mad. It famously originated at nearby Eton College; so, when in Eton …

The evening was the perfect culmination to our castle adventure.

As the sun set, we said our cheerios, ta-ta and farewells; tomorrow we start our trek home. After zigzagging through the many back roads (goat tracks) of this island nation, we managed to rack up:

• 11 Castles
•  2 Palaces
•  5 Cathedrals
•  5 Abbeys
•  4 Museums
•  5 Manor Houses
• 14 Varied Attractions . . .  oh, my!

On the flight home, as I’m trying to recollect our last three weeks, I suddenly thought that there wasn’t enough traveling time to put pen to paper. We had so many priceless memories.

I’d have to say that it all comes down to two words ~ Perfect Vacation!

Epilogue: A castle back story …

Like with many things in life, it all starts by planting a seed. Looking back to where was the “castle seed” planted in my life? And from whence it grew into this Castle Tour of Great Britain?

The soil got germinated way back in Habana, Cuba. There, as a little boy, I’d be lying on the floor, reading through our family’s La Encyclopedias Infantil. Years later, my mother reminded me that I used to tell her, “Mami, cuando se grande…” (when I grow up …), “I’m going to visit all these places,” and thanks to her sacrifices, dreams became reality. Children’s imaginations need nurturing and what the seeds grow into is predicated on lots of love and support.

Forward to the early 70s, and now living in Ridgewood, NJ. I took a pottery art class at Benjamin Franklin Junior High School. There, I made an ashtray (it was the cigarette years) and a castle planter that my Godmother would keep for decades. Years before her passing, she gave it back to me, and my first reaction was, “What am I going to do with this?!” I saw it as childish and ugly.

However, her big smile showed me the happiness it had given her over the years. Now it’s become a beautiful and cherished piece of my childhood, and it made the move to Mexico (very carefully wrapped).

The “maceta” now sits proudly on the fireplace hearth in the master bedroom as a cactus planter (shown here on the terrace), and not a day passes that I don’t glimpse it and am swept with happy memories.

“Secrets of Great British Castles,” the Netflix documentary, pushed me to pursue a childhood dream or perhaps was this deep rooted in a past life? Was I the lord, a serf, a warrior? Did I plunder and storm and siege, or manned the ramparts to defend the realm?!

Gratefully, my life has been further enriched by the knowledge and beauty experienced over our British Isles road trip.

Thanks for indulging us by reading along with our adventures and all your wonderful comments.  I write and David edits, edits, edits!

Till the next adventure – stay safe, stay happy, be well!