Royal Air Force Museum London England UK

The Royal Air Force Museum is open daily. It is located at Grahame Park Way in NW London. I took the underground to the Colindale station, which is on the Edgeware branch of the Northern Line.

In addition to a variety of aircraft, the museum illustrates the history of British Flight and the people that made it possible.

Sopwith Triplane

Avro Lancaster

Belvedere

There's also a memorial to the Americans who served from 1942-1945.







Travel Notes

I grabbed a sandwich and drink from a nearby shop and ate in the museum's lunch area.

When I visited in 2018, admission was free. Check their website for more information.

You might like this fun and informative guide to British words and phrases.

Mind the Gap on AMAZON  and  GOOGLE

Windsor Castle England, UK

Windsor Castle/Geoff Sutton 2019

Windsor Castle is an impressive castle with more than 900 years of history. In fact, according to the official website, "Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world."

We took a train from Waterloo station in London and headed west to Windsor. We followed the signs by the station for the short walk. In front of the castle is a statue of Queen Victoria.


We arrived a few minutes after opening time, bought tickets, and joined an included tour.

Tour Guide (in uniform)

After the tour, we picked up the included audio guide and made our way around the grounds.


The oldest part of the Castle dates to the 11th Century when William the Conqueror began construction on a high hill near London.

Old Tower at Windsor

The section where Queen Elizabeth lived when she was in residence is off in a corner far from the touring area.

Windsor Castle was also the setting for the Coronation Concert of King Charles III on 7 June 2023.

Guards were walking about in the lower area near the bookstore--St George's Chapel is in the background.

View from the lower area of Windsor Castle.

Following is a video, which includes additional photos and some video clips.

My website suttong.com

You might like this fun and informative guide to British words and phrases.

Mind the Gap 2 on    AMAZON       and  GOOGLE

Looking Back - Some Pictures from 1980

St George's Chapel in 1980

Changing the guard, 1980

King Charles II on horseback by Josias Ibach Stada Bramesis, 1679. My photo is from 1980.

Just waiting

About Windsor Castle

Location: English county of Berkshire, west of London

A Google map showing the castle and train station

     https://goo.gl/maps/6bQK5T8qiUe9zZhz6

 

Travel: Train. An easy and quick way from London to Windsor is the direct train from Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside station. In 2022, trains ran every half hour and the journey is less than one hour.

   A bus takes up to twice as long as a train ride but is cheaper.

   A car ride of about 22 miles can take 45 minutes or so.

Use: Royal Residence of the Monarch. Frequently used by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Size: About 13 acres

Age: Built in sections over about 1,000 years.

Windsor Castle Website

Fees: There is a charge -- see the website

Food: There is a café

Visit time: Online I see recommendations for 2.5 to 3 hours. We were there longer then walked into town before taking the train back to Waterloo.

Tours: Available on site

Accessible: The website states "Windsor Castle is fully accessible." See the website for details.

St Columba's Church Drumcliffe Ireland

St Columba's Church, Drumcliff, Ireland / Geoff Sutton 2019

Inside St Columba's Church

Church location: Drumcliffe Parish Church Drumcliffe  Sligo  Republic of Ireland


The grave of W. B. Yeats (1865-1939) is in the Drumcliffe Cemetery. He died in France. His remains were brought back in 1948. His great-grandfather was a rector in Drumcliffe.

There's also a Celtic High cross in the cemetery.




Not far from the cross, is an Irish Round Tower. They were originally bell towers and are found near churches and monasteries in Ireland and Scotland.





Signage at this church stop.

St Columba's Church Sign

Drumcliffe Monastery

Round Tower Sign, Drumcliffe

Londonderry, Northern Ireland

Londonderry, also known as Derry, is the second largest city in Northern Ireland. The name derives from the old Irish name of Daire, meaning an oak grove. The city was chartered by James I in 1613.

We our lunch in a small cafe by the city hall.




Across the street is Peace Bridge across the River Foyle, opened 25 June 2011.

Londonderry is also known as the Walled City - a few photos.

You might like this fun and informative guide to British words and phrases.

Mind the Gap on AMAZON  and  GOOGLE

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge Northern Ireland

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, County Antrim, Northern Ireland / Geoff Sutton 2019

In the centre of the above photo is a 20 metre rope bridge maintained by the National Trust. It stands 30 metres above the rocks.

I'll add a couple more photos from our stop along the coastal route.

On a clear day, it is possible to glimpse the coast of Scotland

Giant's Causeway Northern Ireland

Giant's Causeway Northern Ireland /Geoff Sutton 2019

On a cold and windy 13 June, we walked along the trail to the seafront at the Giant's Causeway. It's truly a jewel along the Antrim coast. 

Comparing the unusual formations to people gives some idea of the size of the stone columns.

The panorama might help capture the breadth of the rugged landscape.

But along the trail, flowers add additional colour.

Storyboards indicate it is a world heritage site. An audio tour is available in the visitors centre.

You can walk for miles along the trail so, deciding on the time to stop is a personal choice. A walk down and time in the center can consume a couple of hours. Others might want the better part of a day.

Belfast Northern Ireland

Belfast City Hall

Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland in Ulster Province.


Queen's University opened in 1849 and offers over 300 degree programmes.. The architecture is stunning.

The Titanic Belfast site is worth a visit. In addition to the story inside, visitors see the original launch site of RMS Titanic and other ships of the White Star Line.

One of Belfast's famous authors, was C. S. Lewis--there's a statue in his honour.




This looks like a fun way to get around the city. The "bike" holds up to 15 people and it does require pedal power.

This 1820s Victorian Pub, The Crown Bar, is famous for gas lamps, etched glass, and carved-mahogany booths. It's located at 46 Great Victoria Street.

Crown Bar, Belfast

The Europa Hotel is Europe's most bombed hotel. It was damaged 33 times by bombs between 1970 and 1994. U.S. President Bill Clinton stayed here in 1995 and 1998.

Europa Hotel Belfast/ Geoff Sutton 2019

The Grand Opera House is a theatre at 2-4 Great Victoria Street, Belfast. It opened 23 December 1895.

Grand Opera House Belfast/ Geoff Sutton 2019

Presbyterian Assembly Buildings-- a gothic structure styled like a Scottish baronial castle.

Presbyterian Assembly Buildings Belfast