We did NOT plan to visit England this trip, but then again, we didn’t expect that Schengen rules would force us to leave the Schengen Area for four days. But we can imagine far worse things than spending a few days in London, so off to England we went. (If you wish to better understand how the Schengen rules create challenges in our travel planning, Click Here.)
Once again, we stayed at a favorite destination, The Celtic Hotel just off Russell Square in the heart of London. It’s a great little hotel, and the owner is most charming and helpful. During our stay, we walked the streets of London quite a bit, caught a couple of movies, visited the British Museum, dined across the street at the Museum Tavern (Fish & Chips for Sara; Steak & Ale Pie for Evan), and made day trips to visit Hampton Court Palace and Windsor Castle.
Just around the block from the Celtic Hotel is a lovely shopping center called The Brunswick. It houses a boutique movie theatre (English spelling required) where we caught two films. The Batman, we did not love: it’s too long and too dark. But we did love The Duke, an endearing English comedy, based on a true story, starring Jim Broadbent, who is always a treat to watch, and the great Helen Mirren. Make sure you see The Duke when you have the chance. Why did we go to the movies in London? After a full day of sightseeing, we were ready to relax. The internet in our room wasn’t great, so went to the movies!
We began our stay with a “Hop On, Hop Off” bus tour of the city on a cold, windy, and occasionally wet day. Although we’ve been in London before, this helps to confirm our sense that this as a very large and remarkably diverse city. We would gladly spend a lot more time here. But the real highlights of this visit were our daytrips to Hampton Court and to Windsor Castle.
Hampton Court Palace: Cardinal Wolsey, Henry VIII’s chief advisor, built the elaborate palace at Hampton Court, but he fell out of favor when he failed to convince the Pope to approve Henry’s annulment to wife #1, Katherine of Aragon. With Wolsey’s fall from grace, Henry expanded the palace to make it his own primary residence. The Great Hall and the large kitchens still reflect the Tudor period of Henry’s rule. Over the years since, the palace has been enlarged reflecting different styles, especially under King William III and then the Georges. Architectural styles include Tudor, Gothic, Neo-Classical, and Baroque. The huge grounds and gardens are beautifully and meticulously maintained, as we could see even in this late winter visit.
We truly enjoyed our time at Hampton Court, just a short train ride from central London. The palace is a great historical treasure, full of stories and legends. Are these halls still haunted by the ghost of Anne Boleyn, (wife #2, mother of Elizabeth, beheaded under charges of adultery)?
Windsor Castle: Long before there was Hampton Court or Henry VIII, there was William I, the Conqueror, the first Norman King of England, who began the building of Windsor Castle in the 11th Century. It’s a beautiful hilltop castle, not far from London, overlooking the Berkshire countryside. Today it is Queen Elizabeth’s primary residence.
A walk through Windsor Castle is truly a walk through English history and architecture, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the present day. Since the time of Henry I (who reigned 1100–1135), the monarchs have used it, expanded it, and remodeled it: it’s the longest-occupied palace in Europe. The early 19th Century state apartments, open to the public, are a magnificent reflection of Georgian taste. Visitors can also see St. George’s Chapel, a 15th Century version of English Gothic architecture. Although the castle suffered damage from a fire in 1992, it has been fully renovated. The entire castle is well-groomed and maintained, surrounded by the lovely English town of Windsor, also the home of Eton, the famous boy’s school.
The whole world watched more recently, on May 19, 2018, as Prince Harry married an American actress, Meghan Markle in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
