The castle was still closed when we got to Windsor so we walked to the Windsor/Eton Bridge and took pictures of the Thames River and the resident swans.
Picture-taking was not allowed inside the castle so we had time to really appreciate the exhibits. The tour started at the Queen Mary's Doll House collection and then on to the State Apartments which included the king's and queen's chambers, receiving halls, library, drawing rooms and dining rooms. Great Britain being a monarchy, the queen had more rooms and are almost twice the size of the king's.
The exhibits and decorations are really undescribable: suits of armor, family crests, assorted weapons such as swords, pistols and muskets mounted on the walls, ornate tapestries and paintings, chandeliers, etc. I'd love to sneak some photos but it was impossible due to the security cameras as well as the roaming guards that will immediately escort you out.
We were able to watch the changing of the guards but it wasn't as grand as the Buckingham Palace. To top it off, it was raining on and off so we were wet and cold. Here's a guard detail that we met as we were leaving the State Apartments. I asked Marliza to march with them but she chickened out.
Pictures of the band and the sentry guards in the lower ward (courtyard) during the ceremony taken from the walkway to St. George's Chapel.
Took some pictures with the sentry and even tried to make him smile.
Walked up the walkway to St. George's Chapel after the ceremony and were met by the 'No Photography Allowed' signs on the doorway. Oh, well. Went inside and admired the architecture and stained glass windows. Deceased members of the royal family are also buried here and are listed on the website. Bought some souvenirs and then met up with Marc, Flor and Rey outside.
Had snacks about 1:00 pm and then headed out for Stonehenge which was about an hour's drive. This must really be a 'must see' place because traffic came to a crawl about 3 miles from the site. Lots of tour buses from London because this is one of the stops in their day trips which also include Windsor Castle and the Roman Baths.
Took us about an hour to get to the parking lot (which was free for a change). The area was fenced in and lots of people were walking around the monument but we didn't see any entrance so we just walked along the fence line and took pictures. Found out later on when we went to get some refreshments that the entrance to the preserve was a tunnel under the road. We had to hurry and get our tickets because the park was closing in 45 minutes. Here are some shots outside the chainlink fence.
Free audio aids were available and were helpful in giving background information about the site. There were numbered stops around the rock formations corresponding to the guide where you can stop and listen to the history. Took some pictures along the way but the sky was a bit overcast. Met a group of 'kababayans' running in as we were going through the tunnel because they only had 10 minutes left of viewing time.
The Friar's Heel or Heel Stone.
A folk tale which cannot be dated earlier than the seventeenth century, relates the origin of the name of this stone: The Devil bought the stones from a woman in Ireland, wrapped them up, and brought them to Salisbury plain. One of the stones fell into the Avon, the rest were carried to the plain. The Devil then cried out, “No-one will ever find out how these stones came here!” A friar replied, “That’s what you think!,” whereupon the Devil threw one of the stones at him and struck him on the heel. The stone stuck in the ground and is still there.
The weather was bad going back to Laugharne with heavy rain and strong winds so it took us a bit longer. We had fish fillets and leftovers for dinner and then went to bed early. Quite a long but enjoyable day.
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