The Grouch vacation is just about over - Part 12

Our vacation was just about over but the clever Missus had scheduled our return flight such that we had time for a tour of Windsor castle which was on the way back to London.   

http://www.royal.gov.uk/TheRoyalResidences/WindsorCastle/WindsorCastle.aspx

Just as with the other royal residences, no photography was permitted within the castle itself.  The castle and its collection was stunning and the history that filled it was so great that it was almost overwhelming.  The display of historic edged and powder weapons that were everywhere in the castle was staggering in the quantity and beauty of them.

We left our luxury bus in a huge lot filled with other buses and proceeded through a former rail station that is the gateway to the castle grounds.  We only had a limited amount of time to see everything so we had to move out smartly.

A rail relic on display in the converted train station, now a shopping and dining venue

Outside of the castle grounds

The Missus and Young Son ready to see the royal sights

Is this the royal family's stealth sedan to evade the paparazzi?

To the victor go the spoils - taken during campaigning in Burma in the 1880s

Another Burma trophy displayed outside of the castle proper

Salvaged from the wreck of the HMS Lutine.  When I was a pre-teen my parents gave me a book about salvaging shipwrecks and this wreck was discussed in the book.  Never would I have expected to actually see salvage from the Lutine!

Pulling guard for the royal family.  Not nearly as glamorous as one might think

This young soldier looked to be all of 18 and hopefully near the end of his tour because he was struggling to stay still

The same soldier doing a circuit of his area.  A Chinese tourist attempted to block his path and take his picture.  The soldier shouted him out of his path and kept moving.  Good for you lad!

Hope his relief was on the way!

These soldiers had just been relieved and were presumably on the way back to barracks

Headed home....

Thank you officers and crew of the Ocean Princess and all of the fine people of England, Gurnsey, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland who showed such gracious hospitality and kindness to us in our brief visit to the green and pleasant British isles.   We hope we get to visit again!