Day trip on Sunday
Old Country Churchyard
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We made our way to the Trafalgar office, and the bus took us to a small town outside of London. Here we explored an old church. It was Sunday morning so we couldn't go inside because services were underway.
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On the left, you can see the Domesday plaque that indicates that this church was listed in the Domesday Book.
On the right is a shot of the rear of the church.
Thames River Cruise
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After leaving the church, we were taken to the Thames River where we boarded a boat for a trip to Windsor.
This trip included passing through one of the locks on the river, and also included lunch on board.
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Lunch was lamb cooked on a grill at the back of the boat.
I usually don't care much for lamb, but right off the grill, while it was still hot, it wasn't bad.
Once it cooled off, however, I didn't care for it.
Here are some photos of the lock that we passed through.
In the photo on the right, you can see Windsor Castle as we approach the city.
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These are a couple of the houses we saw along the river.
The one on the right was undergoing restoration -- you can see the scaffolding.
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Windsor
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On the left is the view as we approached the dock at Windsor.
The photo on the right is the train station at Windsor.
And below are several views of Windsor Castle. No flags are flying, which means her majesty was not there at the time.
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The photo below shows the round stone castle which was built on top of the hill, to replace the original wooden one that was first built here by William the Conqueror after winning the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
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Below are some photos of the flora within the castle.
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This photo, below, is the courtyard and a portion of the living quarters of the royal family when they are here. I believe that this is the portion of the castle which was involved in the fire.
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These photos show the view from the upper part of the castle, leading down to the lower ward. This portion of the castle, among other things, would be used to protect the people of the town when under attack. In the first three photos, the building on the right is the chapel. In the fourth photo, as we progress down into the ward, you can see the stables on the right side of the photo.
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As we left Windsor, we passed this spot where you can get a view of the castle from a distance.
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Magna Carta
On our drive from Windsor Castle to Hampton Court, we passed this spot where the Magna Carta was signed.
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Hampton Court
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Our last stop of the day was Hampton Court. I know I took more photos here, but these are all I can find at this time. There are some interesting things to see inside, especially the kitchens and the wine cellar. The biggest disapointment was that most of the rooms were empty, with no furnishings which would have given us a better idea of what life was like here. On the left is the main entrance, and on the right is a character in period costume.
One of the things that Hampton Court is know for are its beautiful gardens, which include a maze.
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That's Karen in the photo above.
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