Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Hiking in Surrey - Windsor & Eton


     Windsor, a lovely town on River Thames, in south east England is home to Windsor Castle, a residence of the British Royal Family. It is also across the river from the town of Eton, which is home to Eton College. An independent boarding school for boys aged 13-18, Eton College was established in 1440 by King Henry VI and is one of ten 'public schools' in England. It has educated British Prime Ministers, aristocrats and scores of fictional characters including Bertie Wooster, Captain Hook and Mark Darcy. Walking along the Thames in a loop going from the Windsor castle, and along the various buildings that form the Eton College, I did see scores of fresh faced boys in coat tails rushing about with an air of purpose; whether genuine or forced upon them, I couldn't tell. We were constantly reminded not to take pictures which would show the faces of these boys. You never know which billionaire, President or King is paying the meagre £37000 and change per year to educate their sons here, to take over the world. I did, however take lots of pictures of the Crooked house, delightful pubs, swans frolicking on the river and pastoral landscapes that soothe the soul.
The Crooked House of Windsor, built around 1687, stands on an 'outrageous  slant' and is still in use.


The Windsor Castle

Do you know the way to...

                                   


What's in a name?....

....this describes it well.

Nothing else matters.

Hiking in Surrey - RHS Garden Wisley

Wisley, one of four gardens run by the Royal Horticultura Society (RHS) was founded by a Victorian businessman George Fergus Wilson in 1878. From a site of 60 acres, it has now grown into a large and diverse garden covering almost 240 acres. The diversity of the plants and associated gardens makes it impossible to appreciate everything in one visit. I will surely be going back a couple of times at least especially in Spring.


Roses, Dahlias, Sunflowers, giant Hydrangeas and so many more flowers....


       



Productive and pretty apple and pear trees, trained to grow in restricted spaces, so as to be suitable for small gardens.