First, I want to introduce you to Miland and thank him for rescuing me when my iPad went haywire. When I could not use the business center computer because it was too old, Miland brought his personal computer in and brought it to my room so I could reset my iPad. He is a lovely man and a true blessing.
We started the day with a crazy “continental” breakfast. Brie, fresh yogurt, croissants, boiled eggs, ham, and very hot, very strong tea. I could have not eaten again all day.
We met James, our amazing, 6’7”, enthusiastic and knowledgeable tour guide and rejoined Marco our driver/guide from yesterday, and headed to Windsor. They were closing the castle at 1 pm to complete preparations for the wedding so we made it just under the wire. It was extremely cool to see the camera crews getting into place and the florists putting in the infrastructure for what is sure to be an amazing display of flowers throughout the “chapel”. As ornate and beautiful as it is, it will not need much adornment, but I expect it will be spectacular. There were film crews on every corner doing live updates.
The police and palace guards were out in force but could not have been nicer.
The staterooms that we could tour were breathtaking. Many were badly damaged by the fire in 1992, but have been restored as faithfully as possible. It was amazing to walk where Queen Elizabeth I walked and to see where the royal family will sit in just a few days. Our guide had stories about many of the monarchs who have lived at Windsor and it made it both a historical monument and a family’s favorite house.
We then went to Woodstock, which is just outside Blenheim Palace, the home of Winston Churchill. Our lunch in a public house was amazing and it felt like we were on a film set. I sent a picture to Langley and she said it looked like we were in Midsomer and to try not to get murdered.
If anything, Blenheim Palace was more impressive than Windsor. The gardens, designed by Capability Brown, were reminiscent of Biltmore. You could see the same design aesthetic.
We had a fun guide who told us back stories about the 12 Dukes of Marlborough as well as about Winston Churchill. Glorious paintings, including two by my favorite portrait artist John Singer Sargent, were displayed throughout the house. Over the years the Dukes of Marlborough have gone broke repeatedly which led to some interesting stories and intentional money-centric marriages. Consuelo Vanderbilt was married to the 9th Duke of Marlboro which explains both the Sargent paintings, the influx of cash for restorations, and the visual links to Biltmore. It appears there might have been some competition between the Vanderbilt cousins.
We finished the evening with cocktails in the charming lounge here at the Kensington. I had a “King at Queen’s Crossing” which was described as a “complex blend of subtle flavors” had sugar frosted rose petals on top, and was delicious. Evans made friends with our server and they discussed the many scotches on the menu and the several that are not on the menu but that are available for special guests. We walked around the neighborhood and stopped at a little Italian restaurant for a light dinner. Then I rescued my iPad (yayyy).
Tomorrow we are off on our own in the morning and will see how much we can cram into five hours before going to Kensington Palace and the Tower of London. We have realized that we are only going to scratch the surface this trip, but we are enjoying every thing we have seen.
Oh, I also (so far) did not hurt myself today so that in itself is a win.