London...Day 7

Friday, November 6, 2009

On this day Kathy ordered a driver to take us to Windsor Castle. While living there, our hostesses don't have their own car but use a service when needed. The mass transit system is so great that one really would never need a car ...except for taking day trips like this to the countryside...a car is much more direct and less stops than the transit.

If you look behind the line of trees, you can make out the outline of the castle.

We're almost there.

This large picture of a bird's eye view of the entire castle was on the wall....this gives you an idea of how large this place really is. It was impossible to capture that with my camera. I think this almost gets you there. I mostly tried to capture small areas of detail....very castle-ly details.

A castle cat. Or a guard cat....as he was hanging around the area where The Changing of the Guards was about to take place.

My view of The Changing of the Guards. Let me just say that tourists make their very own fashion statement....myself included.

The band is leading in the guards.

Do you see the little man sticking his head out of that window?

I will always wonder just who that little man is.

Field Trip.

Royal Mail? As opposed to Regular People Mail?

The buddy system.

Even the lanterns were crowned.

Castle walls.

Guards marching past young love.

The guard cat is leaving his post.

And out comes a new cat. The Changing of the Cat.

Leaving the gates of the castle to walk the streets of Windsor and Eton.

I took this picture to remind myself that it's almost Thanksgiving. Think about....the British don't celebrate this holiday now do they?

This reminds me of my house.....the Eating House.

The Christopher Hotel, Grill and Bar. I had to stop to take a picture of this because the newest member in my family is Christopher...Jordan's fiance. And this green? It's the color of the bridesmaid dresses. So this picture is for Jordan...

...and Chris.

The crooked house.

While this picture should have been deleted....I kept it because it was taken from my seat on the bus leading back to Kathy's from Windsor on our very last night in London. It is cold and rainy outside and I am tired and not really ready to go home....yet ready as I'll ever be.

This was indeed the trip of my lifetime.

The people were nice. The food was good. The city was clean. The weather was perfect. Our hostesses were extremely kind and generous with their time and space.

The weeks leading up to this trip, I started praying to stay well. Swine Flu...or as I call it, Hiney Flu...was running rampant through the schools. And if anyone should have gotten sick, it should have been me. But I didn't. Prayers answered.

I also was extremely busy the weeks and days leading up to this trip, so I didn't have time to get nervous about the flight. Until the day before. I prayed for safe travels and a calmness. Prayers answered.

I prayed for the ability to stay in the moment of each day.

To literally just soak it all in while in London.

Prayers answered.

To Kathy and Andy - Thank you. I cannot imagine how I could repay you for opening this opportunity up for me...and allowing me to bring a friend to travel with...and taking such good care of us while we were there. The food was the best and the beds so comfortable. The best part was walking the streets you walk and eating at the pub you eat at and feeling like I now have a better understanding of you and your life.

To Karen - Thank you. You are the best traveling companion.

A. Because you're a girl. B. Because you like to shop. C. Because you are so generous.
I cannot imagine having taken this trip alone....or how different it would have been with Chuck. This was The Girl's Trip to top all Girl's Trips. Give my thanks to Jerry for sharing you.

To Chuck - Thank you. Who knew when I booked this trip in June, that our daughter would be getting married the same year the other two kids are in college? We are the Hackneys and that's how we've always rolled. All or Nothing. Thanks for the ALL!

I hope I can return to London with you someday...

but don't drag me through too many museums....

or I'll drag you through adorable shops.

To my readers - Thank you. For always stopping by here. I am so sorry if I bored you with all of my pictures from London... but this blog also serves the purpose of memory for me. If I didn't write it down quickly upon return, there was a chance I would forget all the details.

I wish I could have put the smells and sounds as well as

the beautiful autumn weather on here for you....because it was the package deal that made it all so wonderful.

The next post will be the last post about this trip.....no pictures but a really good story!