Intentional traveler: Sunday at Hampton Court

We got up and out early. Today we need to use the Eton-Riverside Station. On our way we passed the Crew teams practicing. The swans ssemed to want to compete! Each boat had its own coach and they road in comfort! Our pre-purchased ticket was good for any train. We didn't feel like walking back up toward the castle to find breakfast so we just headed to Hampton Court. Another grey day but then it is England in the spring. Their weather here has been as weird as ours in the States. Last week it was 28c here and today the high will be 9!

Everything seems much quieter today and at the station the crowds of coach tours had not yet started to arrive for Windsor. We had no trouble changing trains in London at Waterloo Station. Next to our track was a Cuppachino stand. Elva got an onion Cornish Pastie and Cafe Americano. I took hot tea and an almond croissant. On the train we each ate half and stashed the rest for later.

In Hampton we simply exited the station the only way out, crossed the Thames and there it was, Hampton Court. We bought our entrance passes and while Elva picked up the audio tour headsets I chatted with a nice young history major who just completed a year at UNC for his foreign studies. He traveled around a lot while visiting the States and hopes to go back again for a longer stay. He loved Atlanta and loved all the Civil War History in the South. Vegas though was way high on his list as is the Big Apple.

The palace grounds are situated directly at the waters edge. It is a short boat trip from Buckingham or Windsor as it lies between them. Next time I would like to take that water tour but was glad not to do it today. Let me clarify here, for those who may not remember, a palace is a royal residence which may or may not be located within castle walls. Castles are fortifications which may or may not have palaces within them.

Henry VIII's Hampton Court began as a gift from Cardinal Wolsey of his personal country estate. This is all tied up with Henry's dissatifaction with Catherine of Aragon's lack of presenting him with a survivng heir to the throne. It was bribery. Of course Henry lived large in every sense of the word. The estate had to be improved and reimproved and decorated and later redecorated for each wife. The architecture became a combination of Tudor and Georgian styles but blended perfectly. This was due to the fact that William and Mary expanded it even further with the help of renowed architect Christopher Wren. The gardens are Baroque style and magnificent. Fortunately they are meant to be seen, to appreciate the layouts, paths, and symmetry from the inside.

The tour is designed to appeal to people of all ages and all interests. The audio guide, for me, worked much better than the one at windsor. It was easier to use and the talks were short but with choices to expand the parts by which you were most intrigued. The adult guide was done by experts in different fields and there was a choice for children as well.

I will tell you that when William was king he was a much more quiet, thoughtful, and private man. The granduer of Henry was toned down and the state apartments became noticeably less ornate. His private rooms were quite simple. The private bedchamber walls displayed many night scene masterpieces. The doors all locked from the inside and there was no bed. Seems that to get away from it all he preferred to sleep in a camp bed. This probably both reminded him of his success on the battlefield and comforted him as his brain didn't have to be inundated by the ornateness and busyness of the public areas.

We ended our visit with a Cream Tea in the Fountain Court Cafe. Quite reasonable but the scones, we discovered, are not baked fresh on site. The atmosphere was good and the original stone room was cozy. We had no trouble on the return trip to our very cold room, windows open again! Too cold and rainy to wander around looking for dinner so we showered and ate our second halves of our morning Cuppachino treat. Good thing though, there was coffee, tea, and hot chocolate service and a couple of cookies in our room. Would have ordered in but Charles House doesn't give you 'take away' information. Busy day tomorrow so early bed and reading was okay - warm under the quilt!

I am simply going to post some photos to give you an idea of what I saw. I spent very little time in the garden and would be happy to return in much less blustery conditions. There is even a horse drawn carriage tour of the gardens that might be well worth the five pounds it would cost an adult. Just FYI, prices of admission are not outrageous and in each place we donated a couple extra dollars to the preservation funds. If, however, you are going to be on your own for more time, look into a National Historic trust pass. If you buy it before you leave home it is an even great savings.