Week in Review: Week 33
We are on the 7th house sit of our trip and we are stay in the small town of Meonstoke. It is about 1.5 hours south west of London and is surrounded by beautiful countryside. This week was definitely a slower paced week and we have enjoyed a nice amount of down time! For the first time in months we watched a movie – actually a few, as we decided to re-watch the Harry Potter series – and we enjoyed numerous pots of tea while cozying up to a wood burning fire. The house we are staying in is awesome, and we have really enjoyed spending time with a terrier named Teddy.
Highlight of the week
Sharleen and Darrell: Windsor Castle. This was one of only a few outings this week, and it really surprised both of us! We had no idea how large Windsor castle is. It is the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world, and the whole castle complex is stunning. There is a large gothic cathedral in the complex, and the whole castle looks like it could be a separate village. It is full of buildings, apartments, roads, and beautiful gardens. In a lot of ways it reminded us of Prague castle.
The cathedral was one of the most beautiful churches we have visited on our trip. The stain glass, vaulted ceilings, choir stands, and art are absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately we were not able to take pictures inside of the church, but we really enjoyed walking around and taking in its beauty. The cathedral is also a Royal Mausoleum. It is the final resting place for many people in the royal family, including Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth II’s mother, The Queen Mother.
In one part of the castle tour there were displays from the recent Harry and Meghan royal wedding. Sharleen quite enjoyed this part! We were able to see where they were married in St. George Cathedral, the green room where they took their family wedding pictures, and we got to see their wedding outfits up close! A huge display case held the wedding dress, veil, and Prince Harry’s suit. It was so cool to see it up close and see all of the details. Both outfits were gorgeous!
We ended our trip with a visit to one of many gift shops at the castle. We couldn’t resist picking up a few dog toys for our buddies at home in Canada. We are sure they will appreciate having some toys from the royal corgi collection.
It was expensive to visit the castle, costing almost $80 Canadian for both of us, however we really enjoyed our time there! It made us quite excited to see Buckingham Palace, as we could only imagine how beautiful it will be.
Least favourite part of the week
Sharleen: Rainy weather. We are probably long overdue for some bad weather, as we have had amazing weather for 33 weeks! And to be honest, the weather this week wasn’t even that bad. It has rained a bit each day, which doesn’t motivate us to leave the cosy house and fireplace. The temperature has been mild, around 10 degrees C each day, so at least it isn’t cold outside! However, part of me wishes it would be snowing instead of raining – at least it would feel a bit more like Christmas!
Darrell: Muddy trails. This is kind of due to Sharleen’s least favourite part of the week, the rain! Even though the rain doesn’t really last to long in duration, the volume of rain is something that I am not accustomed to! All of the paths we take Teddy on for his daily walk are slimy muddy messes. We both have rubber boots but it is still surprising how much mud ends up all over the dog and the two of us. I definitely favour cold weather and snow, just because I don’t like being caked in mud!
Favourite city/town/village visited
Sharleen: Meonstoke. The little village we are staying in is perfect for dog sitting! There are great walks through the village - my favourite is on an abandoned railway line. Huge trees, vines, and farmland line both sides of the pathway, and we always pass by some sort of farm animal on our walks. The village has a few old houses with straw roofs, old churches, and two cosy pubs. There is also a village store that seems to have everything! It is shocking how many things you can find in this tiny store! We can do all of our grocery shopping there, so there is really no need to leave and go to a larger town.
Darrell: Windsor. This town was obviously highlighted by Windsor Castle. We had a great time walking around the castle and streets surrounding the castle walls. They were filled with great cafes and restaurants. If we had more time, we absolutely would have walked around more and visited the many small shops lining the roads and alleyways. With Christmas less than a week away, it was nice to see all of the colourful decorations and hear the holiday music. It felt like the perfect place to do a little shopping!
Favourite meal
Sharleen and Darrell: Home cooked meals. This week we have been doing so well at making all our meals at home. We have only had two light lunches out, so our best meals have been the ones we have made. We’ve had some great meat from a local butcher – steaks, venison, and some handmade sausages. They have been delicious! Today we are making a venison stew, which will be delicious!
We have another few days here in Meonstoke before making our way toLondon. We are looking forward to being in a big city and explore the awesome sights of London! It’s a huge city with so much to see, we are no doubt going to be busy. We will be there over the holidays, so hopefully we find some great Christmas activities!
