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OUTFIT, TRAVEL

Windsor and Eton

WINDSOR CASTLE & ETON, UNITED KINGDOM

‘The Queen is in the house’ these were not the exact words but close, the message from the guards was that the Queen was in Windsor Castle for the celebrations of the Order of the Garter so no tourist were allowed to visit. If I had been smart enough to book it online I could have actually participated in the celebrations, which would have meant buying a proper dress and a fascinator. Most importantly I would have loved to photograph the ladies at the event but also the gentlemen dressed in their best ‘morning dresses’.

Given that the Windsor castle was a no go, we decided to have a walk at the Windsor Great Park, 20 km2 of fields and trees that once was the hunting ground of Windsor castle and now opened to everyone except for those days when queen Elizabeth goes riding. I thought I could manage doing the Long Walk to reach Snow Hill where the Copper Horse statue of King George III is found, but it was a really hot day and the walk is 5km long so I just did 1km and went back for Plan B.

Plan B turned out to be a picnic by river Thames surrounded by swans.

Eton College

After the picnic we went over the Windsor Town Bridge to visit the small town of Eton. The town is famous for its independent boys-only boarding school, Eton College. Apart from having both Prince William and Prince Harry , a long list of UK prime ministers and one of my favorite authors George Orwell as its alumni, Eton has also a long list of actors as well, with the likes of Hugh Laurie (House MD), Damian Lewis (Homeland) and Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne. Add to the list also fictional characters like James Bond and Captain Hook form Peter Pan and here you have one of the most famous high schools in the World.

As soon as we crossed the bridge we found ourselves in a totally different world where time has stopped. Students at Eton aren’t allowed bags or backpacks so they have to keep their books in their hands at all times. Their all black uniforms of waistcoats, tailcoats, striped trousers and collars make it for a fascinating view when students walk from one class to the other among 15th century buildings. They study Latin and Greek among other more modern subjects and by the time they graduate they also have a strong background in economics, politics and government.

I’ve been to a boarding school myself when I was in high school, and while it might seem like a restricting environment with all its rules and regulations, it is a great experience that teaches you to be responsible for yourself and you build great friendships that last forever.

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