A castle fit for a Queen

It's true.  If English Heritage is involved in something, I want to be there.  Ever since our arrival in England and stumbling upon Dover Castle, one of the 400 places they manage, I have been deeply impressed by the organization, information, and sheer quality they have provided from Darwin's house, a preserved Roman villa, to numerous castles scattered across England.

So, when the chance presented itself to go to Kenilworth Castle, the ruins of a castle dating back to the 1200's, I was eager to visit.  Alisa, Grandma, and the kids were also willing to check it out.

Here is English Heritage's dynamic description of Kenilworth Castle:
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/kenilworth-castle/history/description/

Since they do a better job with the history of the castle than I could ever muster, I'll just tell you about our day.

Thank goodness we had our Wellies!  It was spitting a chilly rain most of the day, often with a great intensity accompanied by a gusty wind, so having our feet dry was a great comfort.

The approach to the castle's ruins took us through the jousting yard and through Mortimer's Tower, still impressive after 800 years.  As we were walking in, we heard the staccato of gunfire off in the distance.

"What is that sound?" Joey and Sammy asked.
"I'm not sure but it sounds like gunfire." I replied.
"Why would they be firing guns?" was Joey's follow up.
I didn't really have a satisfactory answer for either of us. 

We enjoyed the sweeping views of the Great Tower on the right, John of Gaunt's Great Hall in the middle and Queen Elizabeth's Pretty Good apartments on the left.

We went down to the Elizabethan gardens which the Earl of Leicester (aka Robert Dudley) had built for Queen Elizabeth's third visit to Kenilworth.  The story behind the gardens is very interesting, with a guy named Robert Langham writing extensive and descriptive accounts of the gardens.  From these writings they were able to rebuild the gardens!

Even on a rainy winter day they were still beautiful.

And the pink building noted in the back was filled with boisterous songbirds!

We explored more of the castles, going into the remains of each building.

The view from John the Gaunt's Great Hall was incredible.
Here we are looking back at the Great Tower and the gardens below.

Here are the remains of the upper and lower levels of his Great Hall, dominated by the grand window casements.

Joey and Grandma!

We explored the other end of the Great Hall as well.  

The rain started to come down more seriously so we hustled over to the tower built for Queen Elizabeth by Robert Dudley.  

Here is where the Queen's private rooms were and the view looking out.

We went up to the third and final floor above the Queen's rooms.  The views looking back at the Great Hall were amazing and I'll never forget the whistling of the wind through the empty stone window casements.

Having explored all the buildings we felt very good about heading down to the stables as the rain started to come down in earnest.

We were the only ones in these monolithic stables with wooden ceilings over 50 feet above our heads.  Every English Heritage site has a cafe and we availed ourselves to some warm drinks and soup as the rain intensified outside.

After our meal we enjoyed the exhibits at the far end of the stables as the rain started to lessen outside.  

When it was a mere mist, we went to the most recent building: Leicester's gatehouse, which was built in the 1600's.

This is an intact building and they had a great area for the kids to draw and relax.  

After several "scribble scrabbles" by Sammy and some thoughtful coloring of a castle by Joey, we were ready to make the rainy walk back to the car and return to the comfort of the Star Inn for the night.

Wherefore art thou?

Verily we all arriveth to partake of the shelter, libations, and viands at the Star Inn in Sulgrave, George Washington's ancestral home.

Twas quiet and peaceful which we appreciated after the day at Oxford.  After a joyful repast, the boys lay back sated and happy reading a book dedicated to the history of their beloved Porshe.

Lanna spent the morning calculating our bill on their abacus.

The night passed in comfort and blissful slumber. Then to break our fast we feasted upon an olde english breakfast delighting in bacon, mushrooms, eggs, and beans.

Fortified by such a meal we then proceeded to William Shakespeare's ancestral home of Stratford-upon-Avon.

Beset by traffic, there was much gnashing of teeth until the Peugeot made port and then we sallied forth to explore.

Fortune smiled upon us and we quickly made entry to a splendid display of Shakespeare's impact upon history and the humble abode from whence he sprang.

The home itself was a handsome wood structure, large for its time with high ceilings.  We stopped to admire it and capture an image for posterity.

Inside we met a handful of energetic playactors recreating some of the aspects of 16th century life with William's father's work as a tanner, selling wares out a large window in their home.  Some childhood toys from that era were sampled but I lacked the skill to successfully make the tops spin much to the chagrin of my children.

We also saw the room from whence William entered the world and discussed the finer points of child rearing in the mid-1500's.

The potency of the first meal of the day was thence waning, so further sustenance was sought out.  Exploration of Stratford-upon-Avon yielded splendid views of bedecked city streets and older homes.

With our bellies filled yet again at a quaint Italian diner we moved onward to view the home of Shakespeare's daughter and her physician husband.  Twas an enjoyable home with tolerably good history.

Thenceforth to the Church of the Holy Trinity where Shakespeare takes his final rest after his eminently productive 52 years on earth.

Prior to going inside, merry music could be heard echoing within the church and we found a rehearsal going on inside.  With Christmas Carols resounding, the boys discovered a chest filled with royal clothes to try on.  As they were thus engaged, we enjoyed both a musical and dramatic ensemble within the church.

Alas, given the clamor within the church, it was closed early and we were politely asked to leave.  As the door creaked close behind us with a mournful solemnity, we also realized the door to pay respects to Shakespeare's remains was also locked, and thus we forfeited the opportunity to do so.

With sad hearts we strolled through the graveyard of the church and came to stand next to the Avon, contemplating the life and legacy of Shakespeare.  And also to take pictures within the grounds.

With the waning afternoon sun providing ample light but meager warmth, we followed the Avon down towards the centre of the city.  

This industrious blue ribbon enhanced the city and provided a lovely home for scores of geese and swans.  

We found ourselves near the Royal Shakespeare Company Theater which welcomed us in heartily.  
https://www.rsc.org.uk

Their venue boasted a unique production of the Peter Pan story titled Wendy and Peter Pan.

The theater encouraged exploration which Joey and Sammy eagerly embraced.  They found themselves in a room surrounded by artistic representations of Peter Pan and another box with costumes.  

They quickly divested themselves of their plain garments while adorning fantastic costumes, running hither and yon.  Joey delighted as Peter Pan while Sammy menacingly crawled about with a metronomic ticking to mimic the crocodile.

This good thing, as all good things, came to an end as well.  

A jolly reunion with our car ensued and we proceeded back to the Star Inn for a hearty supper.

By day's end, there was much to be happy about.  Wreathed in smiles, Sammy retired for the night, awaiting the next's day's adventure.

Cavorting with Will and Kate

The last stop in our royal voyeurism was Kensington Palace (current home of Will and Kate, past home of Princess Di). We'd done Windsor Castle and Hampton Court Palace, and both Kew Palace and the Banqueting House were closed (thank goodness - we were running out of time in London). Since Kensington is right near where I was working at Imperial, I went to work in the morning and met up with Jay, my mom, and the kids in the afternoon for our palatial tour.

While I worked, the rest of the family had a great morning and picnic lunch at the Princess Diana memorial playground, which is in Kensington gardens right next to Kensington Palace. It is an amazing space, complete with a pirate ship for climbing! 

And some tunnels to crawl through!

I met everyone in front of the palace, which was all decorated for Christmas.

We then toured the four major exhibits in the palace. First was the Queens State Apartments, which were the home of Queen Mary II and King William III.

We then saw the Kings State Apartments, a grand set of rooms with some impressive tapestries. 

As we walked between the exhibits we came across a bench which had pillows depicting the line of monarchs. It was so impressive that Sammy decided to use the bench for a little nap.

Next we moved on to an exhibit on Queen Victoria, who was the longest reigning monarch (before the current Queen Elizabeth). She made many shrines around London to her late husband Albert and always wore black after he died. Their marriage was depicted as a true love match. The kids had an amazing time in this exhibit because there were toys! That they could touch and play with! Here they are crawling all over the floor playing with said toys, in front of a fancy dollhouse.

They also had a very cool diagram of Victoria and Albert's immediate family tree, with pictures of the monarchs and their 9 (!) children.

Lastly, we saw the fashion exhibit which included incredible dresses from the current queen in her younger days, Princess Margaret (who was a real trendsetter), and of course Princess Di.

After all that royalty, we went for an early dinner at a pub we had visited before - the Leinster Arms. It was pretty packed with Christmas revelers around the bar, but we were one of only a few who were having dinner that early. We highly recommend this place for great food!

Oxford. The only one.

While Grandma was visiting, we planned an extended weekend to go north to Sulgrave to see the Cotswolds, Stratford-upon-Avon, and then drive back over to Church Brampton where Alisa and her mom's cousins lived.

On the way lies Oxford.  We couldn't turn down a chance to see this famous university nearly 1,000 years old comprised of 38 distinct colleges with a list of distinguished alumni longer than a pretty long thing.

Having become accustomed to the drive out of London, I only missed a few key turns (but stayed on the correct side of the road) and overall had a smooth drive until we neared the University.  Then things slowed down like molasses on a cold day until we navigated ourselves to some parking.

Here's a map of Oxford.

With the parking issue settled, finding a place on Holywell Street across the street from Harris Manchester College, we disgorged from the Peugeot and got our bearings.

Cambridge and Oxford both have their version of the Bridge of Sighs, so we were hoping to find it during the trip.  Imagine our happy surprise as we just about walked under the bridge when we took the first left turn!

Sammy was already pretty relaxed but not as relaxed as Lanna who was passed out.

Walking further down this street we stumbled upon a plaque on a home there.

Sir Edmund Halley had been quietly making his presence known to us as we saw tributes to him at Westminster and the Royal Observatory before seeing a home he lived in over 300 years ago!

We continued down this street and it became more narrow.  We were slowed down as a full size cement mixer was backing down the street.  

I commented to Alisa that I wasn't sure which was more impressive - Oxford or watching the driver deftly navigate an enormous truck around twists and turns of a tiny side street built long before trucks.  It was amazing as we slowly followed him until he masterfully turned into the construction area.

Moving onward brought us down to the eastern end of High Street and the botanical gardens.

Recently the themes had been Edmund Halley and botanical gardens, so we wished to continue this and visited Oxford's botanical gardens, considered the oldest in England.

Since it was a threatening gray day with sporadic blustery wind, the gardens were very quiet.

We walked through the greenhouses which had a cinnamon tree with a small jar at its base with the familiar curled bark. I can't recall ever seeing a cinnamon tree. It smelled amazing.  

Coffee plants were there with the sugar cane nearby.  Nutmeg and cloves also added their distinct scents to the greenhouse.  It was hard to leave as I was thinking about spiced lattes.

We found a pond with lilies and tiny fish.  You can see Joey being taught something by Grandma.

There was a carnivorous plant room as well and Joey and Sammy seemed pretty blasé about pitcher plants, sundews, and venus fly traps having seen so many recently.

We found a beautifully decorated greenhouse filled with citrus plants and a Christmas tree.  There were benches, so we decided to have lunch there.  

Lunch in this greenhouse created another precious memory. The air smelled of oranges making me nostalgic for my childhood days visiting my grandparents in Santa Barbara, thinking of the mornings where I would go out, smell the oranges as they swayed in the small orchard, and then pick them for our morning juice.

These memories washed over me and I loved watching my kids enjoy their lunch and then start running around the Christmas tree as the wind rattled the glass above us.

As all precious moments do, this one ended as well.  We made our way out and headed back down High Street towards more of the colleges.

We enjoyed the campus feel and walking past so many famous old colleges.  We also stumbled across the Stanford House at Oxford which was a pleasant find!

Along the way we stumbled across Radcliffe Camera, an impressive library.

Like our time in Cambridge, most colleges were closed to the public so we didn't get to experience some of the fabled inner quads, but that was fine.  Without going into the colleges, we felt the Oxford aura everywhere in the grandeur of its architecture and the weight of its history. 

Also like Cambridge, there were some pedestrian areas that were dedicated to shopping, but commercialism felt much more muted here.

We made our way to the Sheldonian Theater and Bodleian Library, both noted structures near Oxford's center dating back 400 years.  And yes, Christopher Wren was involved in their inception.

It was a pleasure to enjoy this campus so beautiful and rich with history.  

It became less enjoyable as fat raindrops started pelting us, so we increased our pace and returned to the car.  We felt we had experienced Oxford and, given the chance, I would love to go again.

Did you know that peacocks like to eat peanuts?

We had driven past Kew gardens previously on our way to Hampton Court Palace, but not yet been in. So we decided to visit during the time that my mom was in London, since she loves Gardens! We had an amazingly easy time getting there on a Saturday morning AND finding free parking right outside the gate. Unfortunately this was not close enough for Sammy, who was already tired of walking by the time we got out of the car. Nevertheless, we made it into the garden, past the wedding which was about to start in one of the houses, and on to the play area!

We first enjoyed the outdoor play structures and managed to convince the kids that the Christmas carnival (with the big slide on the outside of the brown tower in the building) was not quite open yet.

Then, since it was not the warmest of days, we explored the indoor play area. This was an awesome exploration zone with areas appropriate for all the kids. They each found their own way to enjoy the space.

No, I am not sleeping in this picture.

We then walked over to the water lily house, which was warm and lovely. It was nice to see water lilies in the winter!



And then we walked to the nearby greenhouse, which was full of all sorts of tropical plants.





The two coolest parts of this greenhouse were the aquariums on the bottom floor (everyone loves the fish!) and being able to climb up these crazy windy steps to the upper level and look down on the plants from above. 

At this point, we were near the cafe and it was lunchtime - great planning! We ate our lunch in the cafeteria and then signed up for the Santa ride, which was in place instead of the usual garden train ride. We enjoyed hearing about the 500 different kinds of holly in Kew Gardens, as well as many other plant-based facts that I cannot remember. However, the most memorable part of the trip around the garden was seeing Santa feed the peacocks peanuts. Did you know that peacocks like peanuts? Seems too strange to be true, but I swear that we saw it firsthand!





Our final stop for the day was the Princess of Wales Conservatory, named after Princess Augusta but opened by Princess Diana in 1987. 

We enjoyed the arid zones (and managed to keep Lanna from toddling into a prickly cactus), admired the fish in the ponds, and especially loved the orchids.

Lastly, Jay enjoyed this woodworking piece. A storm had knocked over many trees in the gardens, and a creative woodworker made this piece of art from the different downed trees. Jay has vowed to somehow replicate this technique, at some point in his life.

And that was our day at Kew Gardens!