London: Day Three

We were up for an early start on Saturday because we were taking a long (12+ hours) coach tour of some iconic sites: Windsor Castle, Bath, and Stonehenge. We had to make our way to Victoria Coach Station to catch the bus.  The check-in process was quite a cluster ^&%$, but we managed to get on our bus. The coach itself was comfy and our tour guide, Steve, was a lot of fun. However, I will be most hesitant to book a similar tour in the future.

One reason: The itinerary did not mention how long you would have at each location. I knew that we were covering a large area, but I wasn't aware of just how large. We only had 90 minutes at each spot. In the summer, when there are queues out the wazoo, 90 minutes isn't anywhere near enough time. We ended up skipping the Roman Baths at Bath, and we only got to see St. George's Chapel at Windsor. The only place where 90 minutes was sufficient was Stonehenge.

Another reason: People are rude and, apparently, stupid. Steve (the tour guide, not my husband) made it perfectly clear what time we were due back at the bus. Yet at every single location, someone didn't make it back. Every. Single. Location. The tour has a policy that you have to allow people 30 minutes past the deadline to make it to the bus. Then the tour guide calls the office, who then tries to contact the wayward passengers. Only then are we allowed to leave. We were at least 45 minutes late leaving every location because one or several people couldn't be bothered to pay attention to the time and be back. And we left people behind at every stop, as well. As both a courteous and punctual person, I can't abide that kind of nonsense.

Here are the photos from our day:

 The village of Windsor is a really charming place. I very much want to take a long weekend down there with Steve (my husband, not the tour guide) some time in the autumn.

A lovely cascade of summer flowers.

 One of our first views of Windsor Castle.

Windsor Castle is both the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. Construction was begun by William the Conqueror in 1070, and it was completed in 1086. Windsor Castle is said to be Her Majesty's favored weekend spot.

People, people everywhere. The tour gave us access to the State Apartments and St. George's Chapel, but we only toured the chapel.

This would be a nice place to sit and read a book.

St. George's Chapel is the spiritual home of the Order of the Garter.

I was amused by the fact that the stained glass windows opened.

Photography was not allowed inside the chapel, which was a shame. It's a lovely place.

This is apparently where the staff live. We had a wander through the arch and noticed signage.

A panoramic of St. George's Chapel.

A back way into the chapel we discovered when we walked through that aforementioned arch.

I've not seen this combo before: A Tudor rose with a crucifix in the center. I've seen the rose with the crown. That's a standard image in the Tudor's arsenal of visual propaganda (Henry VII took the crown during the "War of the Roses." The Tudor rose, which is a combination of the red rose of Lancashire and the white rose of Yorkshire (the roses of the war), was created to illustrate how Henry united the two sides with his victory. The crown was used to legitimize his ascension to the throne. I am unsure of the significance of the addition of the crucifix. Perhaps it has something to do with the Order of the Garter.

I thought the floral display in the coach carpark was pretty. Perhaps the pigeon was admiring it, as well.

The facade of Bath Abbey in Bath. It's one of my favorite churches. When you enter it, it feels like you're inside a hug. We didn't have time to visit the abbey this trip. The pretty weather on a Saturday made Bath a magnet to locals and tourists alike. The town was heaving with people.

We found ourselves inside this fudge shop whilst some fudge was being made. The stuff was delicious, and didn't contain any sweetened condensed milk. The secret was all in the manipulation atop the marble table.

Another angle of Bath Abbey, which is enjoying some restoration work.

Just finding a place along the wall to even see the bridge, let alone get a photo of it, proved difficult with the crowds. This is the XXXX Bridge and the multi-stepped weir. Those are tour boats - one coming in, the other going out - that take you along the River Avon.

The Abbey from the backside.

Our coach picked us up here. There is only space enough for about three coaches, so there is a policeman who controls the traffic. He's very organized. Coaches are given specific times for pick-up/drop-off, and none are allowed to remain beyond the given time. I heard that over 200 coaches were coming through the day we were there.

Stonehenge was our last stop. I took this photo to give you a taste of the crowds that were here. And this was toward the end of the day, too.

Stonehenge is a 4,000-year-old monument. But it's not untouched. There have been several extensive restorations of the henge dating back to the turn of the 20th Century.  One has to wonder how much of it is accurate.

As I look at this, I'm reminded of a scene in Galaxy Quest. I'm half expecting that linteled rock to come to life and start attacking people.

The two stones on the far right - where one looks like its wedged against another and sits at a 45 degree angle - remind me of a pair of stones at Clava Cairns. I wonder if there is a significance to that.

Still, even if Stonehenge isn't put together quite right, it's still a remarkable achievement by an ancient civilization.