Part 12: London - Part deux

We were lucky enough to squeeze in a second trip to London before our friend Phil moved back to the States. This time we decided to rent a car and see some sights outside of the city. On Friday, we headed to Windsor. Windsor, England is the home of Windsor Castle, one of the homes of the Queen of England. She was there the day we visited; but unfortunately, we weren’t able to catch a glimpse. I think Amanda was hoping that the princes were visiting Grandma, but no such luck there, either.

Saturday, we headed to the British Museum. Last time we made it to the National Gallery but didn’t have a chance to check out this one. We both really enjoyed it.


Many of the exhibits are Egyptian and Roman artifacts: mummies, walls of hieroglyphics, statues, columns, etc. It’s like taking a walk through history.

The most famous artifact is the Rosetta stone. As you may know, the stone has three identical passages in three languages inscribed on it: Greek and two Egyptian languages including hieroglyphics. The stone allowed historians to decipher hieroglyphics and learn more about ancient cultures. The stone was discovered in Egypt by the French during the Napoleonic War. The stone is quite impressive and draws a large crowd. Luckily we were on a tour with a guide who wasn’t shy about pushing others out of the way so we could get a good look.
Jacob was getting a little warm in the museum, so we decided to put him into a short sleeved shirt. I thought it was funny that his jeans went all the way up to his armpits, so I had to get a picture. We got a few grins from those around us.

Before heading back to Holland on Sunday, we went to Leeds Castle in Kent. I think this is the first castle that we have seen that truly looks like a castle. It was set in the middle of green rolling hills with a mote around it and lush gardens everywhere (unlike Windsor which is right in the middle of town). The castle dates back to the 12th century. It was once the home of King Edward I as well as Henry VIII. The castle has so much history, yet many of the interior rooms have been redecorated as recent as the ‘60s and ‘70s.


Driving into Kent, we could see this huge balloon flying. As it turned out, you can take balloon rides to get a different view of the grounds and the castle. We opted not to take the ride.
The walk up to the castle is fantastic.

If you remember the Harry Potter scene or if you have studied a bit of mythology, then you have seen a daedalus' maze. However, until you have walked through one, you haven't experienced it. I didn't really think it would be that hard becuase I had a air tight plan; keep my hand on the side of the wall and then follow it, no matter what. Eventually --- or theoretically --- you will find your way to the center.

It didn't work. We actually ran around that place for 30 minutes until one of the maze custodians showed us the way out.