Winsor, Wimbledon & Aladin

Our driver picked us up in the morning and we headed to Winsor Castle. It is 25 miles from London and where the Queen spends most of her weekends. The rest of her time is spent at Buckingham Palace. I wish we had more time for exploring the town. We bought our tickets and were given an audio guide. It was wonderful and very detailed. The original castle was built in the 11th century. Windsor Castle was used as a refuge for the royal family during the bombings of WW2 The royal family slept in Windsor Castle during WW2, but this was a secret. The public believed that they were spending the nights in Buckingham Palace.
In 1992 a massive fire took place in Windsor Castle. Over 100 rooms were damaged by either fire or the water used to extinguish the fire. The cost of Windsor Castle’s

restoration was nearly £40 million.
We first got to see the Queens doll collection. It was a gift given to her in 1920. It is amazing and so full of everything imaginable. It has over 1000 pieces of small artwork, 700 books in the library including Shakespeare, The Bible, novels and Koran, real wine in the wine cellar, running water, electricity, working lifts, embroidered bed sheets, upholstered furniture, small rifles that actually work, wood carved furniture, a five-bay garage housing a fleet of royal limousines and of course, miniature crown jewels.
The rest of the castle was also pretty cool. We learned it takes 2 days to set the 175ft table for a State dinner that includes: 1200 glasses (6 for each guest), 2000 pieces of silver cutlery and 35 pieces of china per guest. This is all hand washed afterwards. No one sits down until the Queen does and everyone is done eating when the Queen is done.
The moat has been changed into a beautiful garden area. I can see why this is a favorite place for the Queen.
We were then able to walk through the beautiful St George's Chapel. Charles and Camilla had a civil ceremony at the Guildhall to avoid potential controversy. This ceremony incorporated an act of penitence. The Queen Elizabeth II & Prince Philip did not attend this ceremony. They did attend the church blessing at St George's and hosted the reception afterwards.

We then toured Wimbledon, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and considered the most prestigious. It has been held here since 1877 and is played on outdoor 100% perennial rye-grass. The principal court, Centre Court, was opened in 1922 capacity of 15,000. Second most important court is No. 1 capacity of 11,000. These 2 courts are used for only two weeks a year, during the Championships. The remaining 17 courts are regularly used for other events hosted by the Club. The private club tournament is also notable for the absence of sponsor advertising around the courts. Dark green and purple are the traditional Wimbledon colors. However, all tennis players participating in the tournament are required to wear all-white or at least almost all-white clothing, a long-time tradition at Wimbledon. In 2017 the prize money rose by 12.5% to £31,600,000 in total. It costs $95 a year to be a club member and use the 17 courts, but you must be accepted into the club to become a member. Very few are accepted.
We took in the Broadway show, Aladdin. It was held in a beautiful theater and very relaxing. The Genie was excellent!!