By 10:00 AM I am on a train for Windsor, heading out from Paddington Station. I switch lines at Slough and arrive well in advance of the Changing of the Guard, only to find that they have changed the schedule instead. I missed it the day before… I thoroughly enjoy Windsor Castle and its state apartments nevertheless. I do wonder about the common sense of some people, however, and greatly sympathize with the poor guards who have to stop them from taking pictures at every turn-sometimes the same person two or three times in a row. For goodness sake, just buy a guidebook! Perhaps the ancient art of drawing and quartering should return as a punishment for those who cannot listen. Just kidding.
I break for lunch in town at the Café Rouge, where I order a pastry filled with goat cheese and roasted vegetables, then walk back to see more of the castle and St. George’s Chapel. I saw a few episodes of “Windsor Castle: A Royal Year” on my local PBS station last year and wish I could remember more about the Order of the Garter. I will have to rent it when I get home.
I end the day with a flight on the London Eye at 9:00 PM — the last of the night. Perfect weather, perfect time. How I wish I could go around twice, once to take pictures, once just to enjoy. Heck, why not go round and round all night? The view is that good.
In the darkness, on my walk back to the tube across Westminster Bridge, a bagpiper stands upright and alone, playing his heart out. This is a great city.
The Independent Traveler 