Travel Throwback #2: Windsor Castle

Two weeks ago I shared a travel throwback from my first trip to London, England in 2004 to celebrate my sixteenth birthday. Located on the outskirts of London is Windsor Castle which you can travel to easily by rail from both Waterloo and Paddington station. The train ride takes anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour (depending on the train you get), making it the perfect day trip from London, which is precisely what my mom and I did.

Windsor Castle is Queen Elizabeth II's preferred weekend home and is often used for hosting state visits, as well as being a popular tourist attraction (when the Queen isn't in residence of course). However the original castle dates back to the 11th century after William the Conqueror (whom I've currently been reading about in Stephen Clarke's 1000 Years of Annoying the French).

The Round Tower of Windsor Castle

The current reigning monarch isn't the only one to use Windsor Castle as one of her official royal residences. It has been occupied since the time of Henry I (1068-1135) making it the longest occupied castle in Europe! Famous residents include Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, the mad King George III, and Victoria.

During World War II, Windsor Castle served as the refuge of the royal family, perhaps explaining the Queen's attachment to the place.

Guards Polo Club in Windsor Great Park

The Guards Polo Club located in Windsor Great Park has been associated with the royal family since it's formation in 1955. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is president of the club and Queen Elizabeth II its patron.

Princes William and Harry have often played here. In fact the day before we visited, both princes had been in Windsor for a polo match. I was livid when I discovered we missed it by a day!

St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle

As well as being Queen Elizabeth II's place of worship while in residence at Windsor Castle, St. George's Chapel has been the site of many royal weddings. It was particularly popular during Queen Victoria's era, hosting the weddings of her children Prince Albert Edward (Edward VII), Princess Helena, Princess Louise, Prince Arthur and Prince Leopold. In more recent years, Prince Charles and  Camilla Parker Bowles received a blessing from the Archbishop of Canterbury in 2005.

Besides royal weddings, St. George's Chapel has been the site of many royal burials including Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville of The White Queen fame. Other famous royals who call St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle their final resting place include:

• Jane Seymour (one of Henry VIII's six wives)
• Henry VIII
• George III
• George VI
• Princess Margaret
• Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (The Queen Mother)

Windsor High Street

Besides the castle, the town of Windsor boasts a wide selection of shops ranging from gift shops around the castle to high street favourites like Marks & Spencer and Boots.

Windsor is worth a visit whether you're a tourist in London looking for a day out or living in England and looking for a weekend break!

Q: Have you ever been to Windsor Castle? What did you think?

Erin x

Travel Throwback #1: London

After recently moving house I uncovered a box of my old photographs from my junior high and early high school years, undoubtably taken on a hundred or so Kodak disposable cameras. Included amongst the photographs of friends, Disneyland and parties was a series from my trip to London in the autumn of 2004.

This particular trip was special for three reasons:

1. It was to celebrate my sweet sixteen
2. It was my first trip to England. 
3. It cemented me as an anglophile forever. 

Here are some of the gems I found starting with a jet-lagged sixteen-year-old me at our hotel, The Rubens At The Palace...

Funny story, we originally were in just a normal room but the toliet decided to turn into a fountain and we were promptly upgraded to the beautiful Clarence Suite.

I love the Autumnal colours in this photograph of St. James' Park. If you look closely you can see Big Ben in the background.

"If the Tower of London ravens are lost or fly away, the Crown will fall and Britain with it."

For a Harry Potter fan, no trip to London would be complete without a trip to Platform 9 and 3/4 at King's Cross station!

And finally... one of the most cliché tourist photographs in all the world - posing with a red telephone box. I'd like the think the double decker bus in the background makes it slightly different. Does any tourist visiting London not have a photograph with a red telephone box? I think not!

Q: Have you ever travelled somewhere that made a big impact on your life?

Erin x

Experiencing Germany for the First Time

Stuttgart, Germany is famous for being the home of Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, as well as hosting a number of beautiful historic buildings and landmarks.

via bastian_r

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to experience any of that as I was travelling to Stuttgart for work. A lot of people think travelling for your job is just a laugh, but more often then not it is a lot of hard work. The reason for being in Stuttgart in the beginning of April was to assist with a conference being arranged by one of my company’s top consultants. The hours were long but the end result was worth it.

This was my first time in Germany and I was not exactly sure what to expect. I had visions of mountain taverns filled with steins of beer and people dressed in lederhosen.  Okay, I realise a complete stereotype but I still remained hopeful.

via Christian Senger

While I didn't find any people dressed in lederhosen, I did have several uniquely German experiences which I am pleased to share with you.

1. Getting ditched for being 1 minute late. I know the Germans are all about punctuality but I would hope that 1 minute might be excused, especially when I called and said I was lost. Granted when I say lost I mean I couldn't find the lobby from my hotel room. It appears anything other than 5 minutes early is late to some of my German colleagues.
2. Ich spreche kein Deutsch. Never have I felt so hopeless on a trip. I know I don't speak German, but man did I learn how much I didn't speak German on this trip! I hated not being able to ask for directions or being confused when someone at the event asked me something. You try explaining to a German that they have to leave their credit card or passport in order to receive a headset when you have a massive language barrier! I could just about manage ordering with the aid of my little phrase book.
3. Filling up on German food.  Besides bratwurst and sauerkraut, I didn't have much experience in German cuisine. During the course of the weekend I filled up on pretzels, spätzle, schnitzel and loads of beer! I think in fact I still might be full. 

Schnitzel and currywurst

Erin x