Retired Nomads Part 4

Saturday July 4, 2026

Windsor Castle is about an hour out of central London, and we took a train to Paddington Station to Windsor & Eton Central.

arrival at Windsor - old train on display

We arrived early for our reserved timeslot and checked out the local area and had some hot chocolate. The staff is quite strict with admission times here. A local told us we’d want to be inside to watch the changing of the guard and said that depending on various things there may or may not be a band.

Windsor Castle

we didn't choose this ice cream shop

had hot chocolate not ice cream

We got in and headed straight for the ceremony to secure a spot. I had a front row spot, but Greg went up the hill a bit and encountered crowds. (including one lady who pushed her way into his space and then told him to stop pushing her)

The new guard usually begins marching from Victoria Barracks along the High Street around 10:45 AM, entering the castle via the Henry VIII Gateway for the main ceremony. The ceremony takes place on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Built in the 11th Century following the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror, Windsor Castle has survived sieges, wars, fires and even some of Henry VIII’s more extravagant feasting parties.

Round Tower - closed for rennovations

videos are only on the web album

new guard - not sure why he's dressed differently

Greg's view

After the ceremony we went in search of lunch. We opted for lunch at the Undercroft Café and Greg got a sausage lunch with veggies and I had a Steak & Gunness Pie and carrots and potatoes. Yum! It gave us a shortcut to see the State Apartments which house the masterpieces by Rubens, Brueghel, Van Dyck and more. No photos are allowed inside any of the areas of the Castle & Chapel.

Steak & Gunness Pie and carrots and potatoes

sausages & cabbage, potatoes & tomatoes

The Round Tower was under renovation, so it was closed. Windsor’s central keep has stood on this site in some form since the 12th century, when it was built from wood.

Next, we went to St George’s Chapel, an architectural masterpiece that’s considered one of the finest examples of the Gothic style in the UK, and which contains the tombs of 11 former monarchs, including Edward IV, Henry VIII and George V.

leaving the castle

Once we finished touring the castle we went in search of gelato and the HOHO. We got a London Go Pass and I chose that as one of the 6 things to do. Oddly, the bus was there but no driver. Finally, the driver came and asked if we were waiting for the bus and when we said yes, he told us that the bus had broken down and was waiting for a tow truck. So, no HOHO here. So, we went back to the train station to go back to London. Then we got another surprise when the train from Slough was running late. Vandals had broken out windows, and it was being repaired. So, the crowd of people accumulated since several train times were canceled. We waited over an hour and a half for the next train.

We now needed another attraction to use all 6 things on the Go Pass. The Little Venice Canal Boat Ride sounded fun, so we went to check out the area to find out where to meet it on another day. It was close to the hotel so we figured we could tack it on somewhere.