Queen for a Day: or, How I Located My Future Home and Uncovered the Mystery of High Tea

Has it been three days already?! I can’t seem to figure out where all the time is going. (Certainly not to improving my sleep schedule!) Nevertheless, I have officially passed my third week of the trip. The halfway point. It’s a bittersweet moment. On one hand, the clock begins to count down from here, but on the other, I have just as much time left as I have already spent here. This blog is a testament to the wealth of things that I have seen, learned, and experienced already! I know the next three weeks will bring an equal share of adventure. So, on we go!

 On Saturday, the MSU crew boarded a bus for Windsor Castle, the home of the queen and the largest and longest running castle in England. (It has over 700 rooms!) We were fortunate enough to visit the castle on Derby Day, one of the biggest days of the year for horse racing. Why, you ask? Because this meant that the queen was more likely to be in residence as she likes to attend the races every year in one of her many lovely hats. Although she was not at the castle when we first arrived (you can tell by the type of flag that they fly on the castle’s central tower), she arrived via *maroon* helicopter during our stay, ate lunch at the castle, and then was off to the races nearby. It’s the closest I’ve been to royalty outside of a children’s book. I was excited, to say the least!

The cute town of Windsor

The castle is...in the middle of town. There's a McDonald's ten feet away from the castle walls!

Nevertheless, the structure is still very intimidating!

Here's an aerial view to help you contextualize the next few photos

One of the castle entrances *insert Disney princess*

The Round Tower in the center of Windsor, one of the oldest parts of the castle

Everyone needs a majestic horse statue in their yard

I heard these were given the delightful name "murder slits" and were used for defensive maneuvers back in the day

Me pretending that I'm the next Disney princess and that this is my new home

Beefeaters changing duty!!

Off-limits section of the castle...probably where they keep all of their dragons and dungeons and ghosts

*Side Note: The grass in England is always impeccable and ALWAYS off-limits*

Just look at that grass!

We began our exploration of Windsor with the inside of the castle. Although relatively few rooms are open for public viewing, it was more than enough of a spectacle for me to be in awe of the incredible grandeur that exudes from hundreds of years of treasures, artwork, architecture, and other cultural artifacts collected from around the world. Although visitors are not allowed to photograph the inside of the castle, I’ve collected a few pictures from the internet machine to show you my favorite rooms and artifacts. Prepare yourself for a mini tour of royal proportion:

Let's begin with my favorite room. I call it "The Gold Room" (aptly named), and although I have no idea what it was used for, it was absolutely breathtaking to behold.

The King's Bedroom. Look at that bed! (Note: The king would not have slept in this bed. This room and the bed were just for show as and he would receive people here early in the morning)

The largest room in the castle where balls and banquets are held. The shields on the ceiling bear the coat of arms for each individual knight.

Armor of the Prince of Wales. Why did I fall in love with the suit? Because it was exactly MY size! Men and women were considerably shorter in the early seventeenth century. Imagine a brave warrior no bigger than myself!

The ice cream (made with milk from the queen's cows!) that I enjoyed while waiting forever to see the doll house:

Queen Mary's Doll House. This is no ordinary doll house. It took up an entire room of the castle!!

Not to mention it was complete with working electricity, a fully stocked library of miniature books that you can actually read, oh and... working plumbing. What's that? Yes, working plumbing in a doll house.

When we had our fill of oogling at the inside of Windsor Castle, we dropped by St. George’s castle because, when in England, it is ALWAYS worth visiting as many churches as possible. You know, if you’re into that whole gorgeous architecture, stained glass, angelic choir, awe-inspiring experience sort of thing like me. Again, no pictures allowed on the inside, but I will tell you that this chapel contained the ornate graves of many English monarchs. In fact, the chapel had several smaller chapels within it, each dedicated to a queen, a noble family or another person of high respect in the church.

Outside of the chapel

Gabby is always complimenting me on my "artsy" photos

Inside the chapel. These walls held the most intricate wood carvings I have ever seen.

I absolutely fell in love with this memorial for Princess Charlotte who died in childbirth. Everything, including the curtains in the background were carved out of marble. Charlotte's body lies lifeless beneath the sheet in the middle while her spirit and the spirit of her stillborn child ascend into Heaven. 

We finished the day taking advantage of the gelato and photo opps that Windsor had to offer before making our way back to Oxford.

This guy saw the fear in my eyes as I approached and promptly stomped his foot and proceeded to march his rounds.

I die laughing every time I look at this picture.

Women in period wear handing out flowers

Windsor pastries...Yum!

The Windsor train station

Finally, a phone booth pic!

The guys making fun of my phone booth pic...

I even met a handsome man in uniform!

...And ate more ice cream... gelato actually

On Sunday, Jamie, Sally, Alex, and I visited University College’s church here in Oxford with the added motive of seeing the city from the top of the bell tower. *Warning: This adventure is not for the claustrophobic or the faint of heart!* After climbing what seemed like hundreds of very small steps up a very very steep and very very narrow winding stair case to the top, we were rewarded with this incredible view: Oxford dazzling in all its brilliance in the morning light.

All Souls College

A view of the bustling streets full of colleges at every turn!

A little reminder of the beautiful country that I'm in

Tom Tower (of Christ Church College) in all of its glory

The Radcliffe library

Something about me and Oxford together... just looks so right

Although I would love to have continued exploring the city for the remainder of the day, I was forced to settle down and commit to my Shakespeare paper and to banish myself to a cozy café until I finished Jane Eyre. #StruggleBus

This morning invited much of the same. I finished my first Shakespeare paper (identifying the masculine gaze in Titus Andronicus via Mulvey’s theory) and read for my upcoming Bronte tutorial until I was half convinced that I was actually a misunderstood governess caught between passion and propriety in nineteenth century England. However, I did escape the flat (but perhaps not my nineteenth century mindset) by attending high tea at a fancy tea house on the outskirts of Oxford this afternoon. A few dainty sandwiches and a cup of Earl Grey tea later…and all was right in the world. Now I think I am beginning to understand the English custom of tea time. The meal portions are considerably smaller here than in the U.S. and the weather isn't exactly the Florida sunshine I'm used to. Tea time helps sustain you until dinner and is something to warm you up after bracing the English drizzle all day.

Tea and milk and two sugar cubes :)

Our mid-afternoon feast of dainty cakes and sandwiches

For now, I’m relieved to have both my first tutorial and first Shakespeare paper checked off my list. Stay tuned to hear about my upcoming trip to Stratford (Shakespeare’s hometown) for a production of Henry IV (Part 1) and how I somehow find time to read 600+ pages and write a paper before Thursday!