The Myth of Driving & Windsor/Eton

My earliest legal driving experience was getting a farm permit at 14 years old. In 1969, farm permits allowed children to contribute to the family farm by driving farm machinery and at 15, you could drive a car accompanied by an adult over 21. Small but expansive tastes of freedom for a farm girl in Minnesota stoking the fire for bigger adventures.

I never imagined that I could live without a car, Ever. A car is another body appendage when you live in California or Minnesota.

I go wherever I'M TOWED car

Then I discovered I could live without a car. Quite a monetary savings: no car payments, maintenance, gas, insurance, parking hassles or toll roads. Train from Bath to London 1.5 hours direct. Train journey from Bath to Windsor 2 hours with 1 transfer. Now that's freedom. No down side and easier than facing traffic on the M's or the A's. If we need a car, Enterprise is down the road.

I Love me a Train.

Windsor/Eton

When you arrive in Windsor's train station you look up to the top of the castle to see if the Royal Standard is flying. The Royal Standard signals to the loyal subjects that the Queen is in residence.

On our trip the Union Jack is flying-the Palace Guards tell us HRH just left for Balmoral, Scotland. Guess we won't be having tea with her after all. Just when I had gotten the curtsy down.

For 1,000 years Windsor has been home to Kings and Queens. It has been a weekend residence for Queen Elizabeth. It's a working palace and of her 6 official residences the one she spends the most time in. Windsor sits on 13 acres and has a 1,000 rooms. Approximately 150 people live onsite to keep things tip top.

In Bath her Majesty stopped by the local shops for a few mints and gingers and to shake hands.

There are 300 clocks in the castle and this weekend when our clocks shifted time, the clock winder, castle’s horological conservator, was a busy man.

If you watched Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding or Prince Philip's interment it all happened here. No photos allowed inside St. George's Chapel. But what a gorgeous chapel it is.

For safely reasons, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret were sent to live in Windsor during the war as London was under ongoing bombing raids. When there were bomb scares they would have to go to the Windsor Castle dungeon to hide.

Do you think Princess Elizabeth and that rebel Princess Margaret ever sneaked out this door for a bit of mischief when they lived here?

Eton College is on the other side of the Avon River from Windsor. It is a highly selective private boy's school for 13-18 year olds. The quaint and quiet Eton exudes so much charm in its selfie self.

Princes Harry and William attended Eton and could pop over the bridge to visit Queen Granny. Or as Prince William, who couldn't say Granny as a toddler, called her Gary Gary.

Edge II Sculpture by Sir Anthony Gormley

Don't call them Duckboats, there are so many swans in Windsor they should be called Swanboats.

Ian Fleming, James Bond author, called The Timbralls his home at Eton.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson attended Eton. Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson was born in New York City, attended Eton on a Kings Scholarship open to the top 70 students. 20 Prime Ministers have attended Eton which ranks in the top 3 schools in the UK. Fees are about $70,000 a year. At Eton Boris developed his "eccentric English persona".

About Town

Stefan Zweig

Stefan Zweig, one of the 20th centuries most popular writers and most widely translated authors resided at Rosemount. Reading "Le Monde d'Hier" Zweig treatise on Europe before and during WWI and WWII is an interesting insight into the fall of the Hapsburg Empire.

Wes Anderson was inspired by Zweig in creating "The Grand Budapest Hotel". He based his Ralph Fiennes character, Gustave H, on Zweig.

I walked by his Rosemount residence one day and the owner stepped out for an errand. Engaging in a conversation I was happy to have her invitation for tea someday.

Muriel Barbery

The Elegance of the Hedgehog author Muriel Barbery was in town for a book event. Her new book A Single Rose has just been released and we were able to meet. For all my French class friends you will be familiar with Elegance of the Hedgehog. A lovely book that was an immediate and lasting success in France and beyond translated into 40 languages.

Muriel was born in Casablanca Morocco and her parents taught at several of the schools that Youssef attended. Such a small world.