Visiting Windsor: The Commoners Advance

“There are some cities in the world travelers must come back to time and time again. If for no other reason than being a nexus to everywhere else.” – Old Sean

London Remission

After my time in Birmingham, I returned to London. Over the past few weeks, I had explored pockets of England, the most populous areas of Scotland, a stretch of the Republic of Ireland, Belfast in Northern Ireland before finally looping back.

London marks another stop-point for my journey. I had a few days coordinating with my boss in town before setting off again, planning my assignments in southern mainland Europe.

London Loops

While I had several meeting in London for work, they were surprisingly tame. Most of my time was left open, so I was able to do some exploring while visiting friends.

After polishing off a hefty sum of paperwork, I joined an old friend from high school in watching the Incredibles II in theaters. I always feel a little silly while watching movies abroad, since I can do that at home whenever I please. But I’ve also had enough novel experiences the past few weeks to make watching the film fairly novel.

One of my other friends, a man I know from my time in China named Sam, asked be to compare tap water from London and Belfast. I had ended up bringing back a bottle of Belfast tap water and we amused ourselves for three minutes comparing the two

Belfast water wins. London’s has an oddly calcified flavor to it.

Afterwards, I spent some time getting coffee, calling friends in the US, UK and China, and patched up my admittedly worn clothes, ready for the next jump. I found a place close to my temporary apartment which served chilled pea-mint soup and bread and planning my last day in town.

Visiting Windsor Castle

Before I left town, one of my friends asked if I’d like to go see the Windsor Castle. I agreed, mostly out of mild curiosity. The Royal Residence of Berkshire wasn’t something I was especially interested in. But since it was nearby, why not?

The Castle itself is huge, blocky stones extending over manicured lawns. The structure is a a singular, arresting feature, dominating all of the space around it.

I didn’t especially enjoy visiting the Windsor Royal accommodations. The crowds were obscene, people practically stacked on top of one another with cell-phone cameras being held overhead like a demented forest of fleshy, watchful trees.

I was a little happier spending some time at Alexandra Park, watching the swans and enjoying the nearby flow of water.

Visiting Windsor and the surrounding town is strange. The sheer size and magnitude of the Castle renders the rest of the city smaller and filled with tiny gimmicks. Small city features such as the Bachelor’s Acre statue, the small Windsor & Royal Borough Museum, the flat Royal Windsor Maze and sinfully overpriced restaurants highlights a weird overshadowing.

Windsor Castle is practically the only thing in the area that matters.

I probably could’ve skipped it. Truly tourist-dense zones bother me.

Back to Mainland Europe

With my work out of the way in London and my bag fully packed, I’m heading back to mainland Europe. According to my schedule, my route going forward will be a little slower, allowing for more time between locations. My company is extremely interested in major tourist locations, such as France, Spain, Portugal and Italy.

So, it’s time to head out now.

France, here I come.

Best regards and excellent trails,

Old Sean

Written July 25th, 2018

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