The Adventure Begins

What is a good adventure without a mishap or two? For instance, this blog, for the next two weeks anyway, will be decorated with all of the wonderful images you can muster from the depths of your imaginations. We have photos we will add later as soon as we are reunited with the little cable that connects our camera with our computer. It is safely tucked away in a drawer in Tipp City, OH, U.S.A.

Windsor Castle is on the way from Heathrow to Cheltenham (pronounced CHELT-num) so we made that our first stop. I think this is the case with most fortified castles- the entire town revolves around the castle, one way or another. The Queen was not in residence when we visited. The Union Jack flies when she is NOT there, her standard flies when she is. We could see the Union Jack flying long before we reached the town. The castle is endlessly huge. If I were the Queen I would insist that someone take me on a tour of my castle and show me each and every room. We took the "Kitchen Tour". The kitchen we saw is one of several on the property and is used to prepare state dinners often up to a thousand meals a day. There are copper pots and skillets hanging all over but they are no longer used. The castle has 20 or so chefs, they travel with the Queen taking all of their knives and equipment with them. There is a working gas stove in the kitchen installed by Queen Victoria. Actually, I think she may have had someone else do the installation.

The art work, weapons, costumes are all fascinating. My favorite, besides the kitchen, was a room with a HUGE (the size of a powder room maybe) doll house that belonged to one of the princesses. I could have looked at it for hours.

Sunday Roast. There are signs outside all the little restaurants and pubs advertising "Sunday Roast". The last time we were here together we decided for sure if we came back we would have Sunday Roast. Just outside the castle grounds there are pubs and shops and all sorts of touristy things in really old buildings. Did I mention the castle is about 1000 years old? Anyway, we had Sunday Roast in a tiny pub. Tiny like the size of a large bedroom. Bar, tables, chairs and fireplace, in the space of a bedroom. We had it in our heads that Sunday Roast was just roast beef and whatever else came with it. Not so. Sunday Roast means that on Sunday they roast a variety of meats and you can choose what you would like. Roast lamb, Roast Chicken, Roast Beef...and it all comes with Yorkshire Pudding and oven roasted potatoes with lots of gravy and a cabbage, carrot mixture. We find this very agreeable and it is our intention to go to as many Sunday Roasts as possible while we are here. But only on Sundays. The day was cold and windy and everyone who came in went right to the fire and stood and warmed their hands before they sat down or ordered a beer or tea or whatever.


John has the courage to drive here. I might try to later. Much later. We drove on a dual carriageway (two lane highway) from the castle to Cheltenham. From the hills above Cheltenham looks like a bowl in a valley. The town is as picturesque as you can imagine. The hotel where we are staying is the Queens Hotel and was built is 1838 and named for Queen Victoria. Royalty, Prime Ministers and celebrities stay here when they come to town. The hotel is beautiful. But...there are only a few suites. Most of the regular rooms are quite small, not well appointed and very ordinary. The first time I was here we were lucky enough to have a suite. Large and beautiful, curtain behind the big bed, a sitting room, all that you would hope for. Which is what I had in mind when John asked me where I would like to stay. When we walked in to our room on Sunday we were not filled with delight. The room was small. Smaller than any hotel room I have ever stayed in. I could not imagine staying in that room for the next 12 days. There were 4 hangers in the wardrobe and no clock in the room. I called the front desk and asked for a clock and about 18 more hangers. The very nice man said maybe he could get us a different room. I am happy to say we are now in a suite and the housekeepers don't seem to hate me even though I hunt them down and ask them for things just about every day.

More later. Lots more...