The site of the most recent royal wedding!!!!!!!!!!! Okay, so you could say I was a tad excited about experiencing Windsor for myself. Not only am I a sucker for the excitement and grandiose traditions surrounding royal weddings, but the sheer history behind Windsor is endearing in itself.
I had no idea it was the largest, let alone the oldest, inhabited castle in the world. Because it absolutely dripped in regal privilege, the fact that the castle is still being used as a residential site by royals today came as a shocker. While the castle looks old from the outside (cause it is), the inside is one of the most decadent sights I have ever seen; gold painted walls, wall to ceiling oak carvings, and artwork that probably belonged in a museum. *scoffs* Rich people.This describes practically every room in the state apartments because they were all insanely gorgeous, presenting an unimaginable amount of wealth. Financial numbers so high were represented in that room, that my tiny, commoner brain is unsure if they really exist. The rooms were set up beautifully for guests to view, allowing visitors to truly get a sense of the spacious nature. However, I found there to be a lack of information about each room and their uses without an audio guide. Luckily, I had my handy souvenir guide and was generally able to answer my own questions by flipping through the pages.
While this castle was built by William the Conqueror, like The Tower of London, I wondered what his purpose was for building it. Was it meant to be residential for him, or was it a power move to show claim over England? It wasn't clear. Unfortunately, we didn't get to go into the oldest part of the castle, The Circle Tower, because it was closed off. Today it is used to store royal documents and important things that peasants, like us, can not breathe near.
We were also fortunate enough to see St. George's Chapel (where Harry and Meghan got married)! It showed off the Gothic architectural style similarly to Windsor. Charming, beautiful and elegant; but not with the sort of intimidating effect Westminster Abbey carries for me.
We soon explored the even more charming and quaint town of Windsor that I so desperately found myself wanting to live in forever and ever. Filled with cafes, restaurants, shopping, and everything royal-themed, it made for fun exploration. Strolling down towards the Thames river, we were able to see the swans that gathered in a swarm. I had never seen so many, except maybe in that one scene from The Notebook. Were those swans? Don't pester me, you know what I'm talking about!
Not long after capturing a few shots of all the pretty, mean white birds, another mean bird from above decided my shoulder was a handy place to poop. And a little of my hand and my phone. I thought people only got actually splatted on by birds in movies. A man standing with his unharmed, cleanly family looks over at me and proclaims, "That's good luck!" Hm. Okay. Didn't feel like good luck at the time. Perhaps this "good luck" will carry over in days to come.
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