Windsor: The Castle and the Crooked House

Windsor is the perfect day trip from London. We went to Windsor to celebrate hubby's birthday.
Lunch at a pub called Three Tuns, just at the foot of the castle. The food was good. I think this was the first pub i came across which served really authentic mashed potatoes! Most, if not almost all pubs serve reconstituted mash: those powder which you get from the supermarket, and add hot milk+ butter.

The pub is in a narrow lane, near an "attraction" called the The Crooked House.
Just look at the "scandalous" history. I wonder if it had to be closed because the other Charles also used it to meet "his flower".

"In 1687, because of an acrimonious land dispute, the council ordered this first Market Cross House to be demolished. The building that survives now is what was rebuilt soon after. It acquired its famous tilt after being restructured in 1718 with unseasoned green oak. There is a secret passage to Windsor Castle, now blocked, from its basement. This is reputed to have been used both for the illicit meetings between King Charles & his mistress, Nell Gwyn & for taking provisions to the castle kitchens."

The entrance where you part with your money:

unfortunately, it was not windy in Windsor, so the could not snap a photo with the flag unfurled. Saw those those photos, and the castle looks much more "powerful".

The side gate where you "come out"


And this is my favorite photo of the trip. The "Back Alley Queen" snapped this from the car park of some private residence near the castle. The daffodils were lovely.

Windsor is an expensive place to park your car, esp when you lose your sat nav. But the nice countryside around this area makes it both money saving and worth while to drive.After lunch, we went to Virginia Waters and the Valley Gardens of the Windsor Great Park. That was rather disappointing as the some of the spring flowers are not in bloom yet, while the calendulas are already past their prime! This has been as strange year, as some cherry trees have lost all their blooms, while the others are just starting to bloom. We went to Hammersmith yesterday and was shocked to see rows of cheery trees in full bloom. Isnt that part supposed to be warmer than places that are not in central London?

However, the daffodil fields at Royal Holloway was a real treat, and it was fun looking at guys "plucking" flowers. Hmm.. "lu bian de ye hua bu yao luan luan cai".