The last days of our London trip were just as amazing as the first two. Our tour guide for Windsor Castle was Alfie, and our driver for the 22-mile drive was Graham. Can't get much more British than that! The weather was cold and rainy, but Alfie was a fountain of knowledge of British history. Windsor Castle is the Queen's childhood home and where she spends her weekends. The first part of the tour was the church in the castle - St. George's Chapel. Construction began on this section of the castle in the 14th century. It is called a Royal Peculiar, which is a fancy way of saying that it is under the direct jurisdiction of the monarch. The Queen's parents and sister are interred in St. George's Chapel, along with Henry VIII and his beloved Jane Seymour.
The State Apartments are on the north side of the castle and contain a vast collection of artwork, antiques, artifacts, and royal china.
Outside of the castle is a shopping mall with souvenir shops and restaurants. I wanted to warm up, so we went into a pub called Bella Italia for a cappuccino. Wow! I've never seen a liquor with my name on it.
After warming up and doing a little shopping, it was time to walk down to Bel & The Dragon Pub for lunch with the rest of the group. Their website says "The historic restaurant and tea room has been serving food and drink since the 11th Century."
It was a lovely luncheon with spiced cauliflower soup followed by roasted suckling pig and potatoes roasted in duck fat. After lunch and several cups of tea, we had a little time to wander the shops of the area. By this time, the rain had stopped and the view of the river was gorgeous.
Once we got back to London, the rain started again, so we decided not to attend the dinner cruise on the River Thames. Instead, we opted for Trader Vic's in our hotel for drinks and an excellent steak dinner.
Texans v. Jaguars
Sunday started out with a pregame party at Sway with tailgate-style food and two of the best party hosts ever. Sway Bar
The hat is from a pattern in my Etsy shop - Football Earflap Hat.
Then it was back onto the bus for the 1-hour ride to Wembley Stadium. The attendance that day was 85,000 people - wow! I never realized Europeans like American football so much, but we were surrounded by British, French, German, and Croatian fans. Fortunately, our Texans won the game.
It was an unforgettable adventure!
Crown Christmas Tree Ornament
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