I woke up this morning around 3:00 a.m. (London time) to the sound of some folks talking in the hallway. It reminded me of just how thin the walls here are. Not to mention, you can hear it every time someone slams a door nearby. I eventually went back to sleep then woke up at a more appropriate time. After a shower I went down to Ramsay Hall and ate breakfast. I tried the English bacon (a.k.a., salty ham), which was pretty good with the eggs. I decided to try a tomato half that had spices on top of it. Bad idea. It was awful and I recommend no one ever eat them. I figure I'll try a new piece of the English breakfast everyday. So far it's about half-and-half as far as what tastes good and what sucks.
After breakfast we went to Euston Square station and took a train to Paddington Station (yes, like the bear). From Paddington we took a train to Slough and then from Slough to Windsor. The train ride was pleasant and it was nice to see some areas of England besides a big city. Once in Windsor, we began our tour of Windsor Castle. Some people would go to Eton College afterwards, but I just did Windsor.
One word can describe Windsor Castle: amazing. The city of Windsor surrounds Windsor Castle in a truly marvelous way. There is, honestly, modern shops and such directly across the street from one of the most amazing castles ever built (the oldest one still used as a residence, as well). The views from Windsor Castle are amazing, and the castle itself is really something to behold. Even though we toured the castle for two hours (and truthfully one could easily spend more time there), we still only saw a small portion of the castle itself. The grounds are enormous.
After the tour, two other classmates and I went and ate lunch at a nearby pub called The Three Tuns (a tun has something to do with a cask of wine). The woman we ate with, Tanya, had a tuna melt that she said was awesome. Gabe and I both got the Sunday Roast (his with lamb and mine with beef). It was out of this world. Roasted potatoes, three big slices of roast beef, broccoli, peas and carrots, Yorkshire pudding, covered in a delicious gravy. It has been, easily, the best meal I've had here. The Three Tuns is definitely a pub worth checking out if you're ever in Windsor. The woman that brought us our food was also a fine looking English lass, as well.
Once we finished at The Three Tuns, we made our way around Windsor. We went to the riverside and saw the beautiful (and big!) swans which people were feeding. We also walked around and got some new views of Windsor Castle and the town of Windsor itself. It was a very nice place and it finally stopped raining, so that was pleasant. Up until that point it had been rainy and breezy all day. We also stopped in a nearby church that was having an exhibition on weddings, and took some photographs of this amazing place. We also spoke with some of the natives inside of the church who were very nice.
Gabe and Tanya decided to take the train back to London while I remained to go to Evensong at St. George's Chapel. At around 5:00ish they let us into the chapel (which is typically closed on Sundays) to watch the Evensong. Inside of St. George's, much like the inside of Windsor Castle, you can't take photos. You can't take them in Windsor Castle because the works of art there are quite old and very sensitive to light. I think they do it for the same reason, and because it is an active church, for St. George's. The service was very interesting. They sand pretty much everything, even some of the prayers. We had to sit in the nave while the actual parishioners sat in the choir area.
St. George's itself is amazing. Imagine sixty-foot-high vaulted stone ceilings with enormous pillars supporting it. Imagine, if you will, perhaps over a hundred marvelous stained-glass window panels about 2 feet by 4 feet in size depicting various saints and martyrs lining the sides and entry to the building. Also, in the choir area, where all of the benches and decor on the walls is completely hand carved, there are two candelabras that are nearly eight feet tall and carrying candles that are perhaps three feet tall. It was truly something to behold.
Once the service at St. George's was over, another classmate, Amanda, and I go on the train at Windsor and Eton Station and rode back to Slough and then back to Paddington. On the train from Paddington to Euston Square, we played a game of peek-a-boo and chatted with a hilarious four-year-old English girl named Tori. I think her mother was a bit leery at first, but then we told her we were students here for school and she was very polite with us. We asked her if we stuck out too bad and she said only when we spoke. That's a relief. The way I had been checking my maps and taking pictures, I figured I looked like a complete tourist. But, they were both very polite and a real joy to talk to.
We made our way back to the college (in the cold rain) and went back to our rooms. I've been just hanging out for the past two hours and I'm probably about to go on to sleep. Photos of today's excursions can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8494714@N03/sets/72157600468633631/
