LOVELY HOLIDAY 06

Saturday, November 21 was to be one of the highlight days of the trip.  Arrangements had been made for Dad and Sarah to spend the day with Suzanne, someone Dad had taught on his mission 40 years ago.  Suzanne, then 16 years old and her younger sister Jacquelyn both joined the Church and were baptized.  Suzanne has been a faithful member ever since.  After 5 years as a Relief Society President of her ward she now serves as a Seminary Teacher.  Yeah! We love Seminary Teachers.

Suzanne picked up Dad and Sarah at the train station in Farnborough, the town where she lives, about 60 miles s/w of London.  From the station they stopped by her home and met her husband, a chess tutor.  Suzanne hosted Dad and Sarah for the rest of the day.  They drove through Ascot (famous for it's horse race track) to Eton (noted for it's very prestigious boys school, where Prince William went to school) and finally to Windsor.  The better part of the day was spent touring Windsor Castle - the Queens country home in Berkshire.  (Photography is not allowed inside the castle so one would have to Google-it to see the magnificence inside.)

Dad and Suzanne in front of her house in Farnborough

The 'uniform' at Eton is a coat with tails.

Bridge over the River Thames that separated Eton and Windsor

Suzanne recommended a pub in the shadow of Windsor Castle to stop for lunch.

The flag is flying which means the Queen is in residence.

As Queen Elizabeth had just recently passed the mark of being the longest reigning English monarch there were special displays to commemorate the occasion.

The view from the castle bulwarks.

The church within the castle walls.  Henry VIII and his wife Jane Seymore are buried prominently in the floor of the choir.

It happened to be the evening for the annual Christmas lights lighting in Windsor, so there were crowds and crowds of folks in the streets when Dad, Sarah and Suzanne exiting the little bakery where they had warmed themselves and talked and talked over large cups of hot chocolate.  One of the more interesting "decorations" is shown on the video above of changing scenes projected on one of the castle drum towers.

Since Windsor is the Queens sometimes residence that calls for Royal Christmas decorations.