Windsor

Saturday, June 3, 2017

Since we had a nine hour layover, we took the opportunity to get out and explore Windsor. Slightly delayed due to receiving contradictory advice on how to catch the bus (we discovered they were all correct because there are different ways to catch the bus), we rode about an hour through towns and country to reach the royal castle.

W: We made it! So excited to be in India! Way more Brits here than what I expected. Life in India doesn't seem too different than back home—gonna be a good trip after all. On our way to see the Taj Mahal!

It was about 3:30pm when we arrived and the castle closed at 4:00 (we had anticipated this), so we admired it from the outside and walked around the town itself. England on a sunny summer Saturday looks much like it does at home. Families are out, kids are running around and eating ice cream, couples are strolling the sidewalks, a league of predominantly elderly people were competitively enjoying bocce ball, ducks on the river were filling up on pieces of bread being thrown to them, and picnics in the park.

A great view was walking down the Long Road (literally named that). It is a long dirt road surrounded by grass and trees that leads up to Windsor Castle. We took a few minutes to sit and rest in the grass.

W: Taj Mahal looks different in person. Not disappointed—just surprised. Watched a group of old people playing cricket. I can tell why India loves it. It's just like bowling, but 1000x better. It's outside, there are no pins to knock down, and the lanes are huge. Plus, you just have to roll close to the other balls. Not a lot of Indian people in this area. Must be a tourist trap. 

Dinner was a classic British meal of fish and chips and a beef and onion pie. Satisfied, we walked to the bus stop and quickly walked inside an old church while we waited. Inside the church, we listened to a lady play for a piano competition while admiring the architecture and decor.

W: Saw our first Indian guy at the restaurant. He owns the place and was friendly. Very excited to try authentic Indian cuisine. Get this—they call French fries "fish"!

It was a quick detour and we went back outside to wait for our bus. A screen showed that the bus would be arriving in a few minutes. A few minutes later, we saw our bus....zoom past us without stopping! Others were ready to board as well, so we were a little confused. Looking back at the screen, we saw that the next bus would arrive in 40 minutes. I figured we would still be able to catch our flight, as long as everything flowed smoothly at the airport. I just worried that this bus would also decide not to stop.

We took a quick walk back to the castle while still watching the street to make sure we wouldn't miss our bus, should one come earlier. Back at the bus stop and after 40 minutes of waiting (me waiting anxiously), the screen showed our bus to be arriving. But there was no bus. 

Five minutes passed and still there was no bus. The screen no longer showed our bus and didn't even show one coming soon. I figured we would now have to try to find and pay for a taxi just so we could catch our flight. In the meantime, Walt had asked some people about getting back. A couple minutes later, just as we were debating how to find a taxi, our bus showed up. I was so so relieved!

W: When the first bus didn't stop, I thought: that's India for you! And I laughed, excited by the adventure. When Jill and the two nice strangers at the bus stop explained where we were, I was confused and angry as you can imagine. You'd think England would have a better bus system.

By God's grace, the rest of our journey flowed smoothly. It was evening in London when we flew out, and we were both exhausted. After dinner, we both tried to sleep. In the remaining 4-5 hours of our flight, we managed to get what I call "airplane sleep." It's the type of sleep where you sleep until your body lets you know it's time to change positions. It's definitely better than no sleep at all 

W: What a day. On the bus back to the airport and while we waited for our plane and for a couple of hours into the flight, Jill explained that Prince William and Princess Kate are not just enduring reality stars from the British Bachelor. What a day.