Page 204 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL EATING IBERIA

the Evensong in the dramatic St. George's Chapel, join- My tutoring had paid off!
ing about two dozen tourists for the short service. The Kalea,excitedtotourHamptonCourt,happilytook
next day (gloriously sunny), we walked around town the child's app and large complimentary pamphlets
(finding some bargains at charity shops!), observed the geared for children. "Henry's Palace" told about his six
castle's Changing of the Guard, and took a 40-minute wives (as the popular saying goes: "Divorced, Be-
boat ride along the Thames. The next morning, sans me, headed, Died; Divorced, Beheaded, Survived"!) and an-
the group strolled on the Long Walk at Windsor Great other was entitled "Is the Palace Haunted?" The Tudor
Park (a favorite of Carl's) before we took another pri- Kitchens were a high-
vate hire car to tackle light: “This is where
Londonthatafternoon. they prepared Queen
As we drove into Elizabeth I's lamb
busy, congested Lon- stew!” I reminded her.
don, I asked Kalea She was fascinated
about her first impres- with the kitchen
sion. “Windsor is more items—from copper
refined,” she observed. pans to plates and
“Are there fun things to bowls--and the roaring
do in London?” I as- fireplace--and answer-
sured her that there ing questions from the
were! app.And,whentherain
We checked into stopped, her favorite
oneofourfavoriteLon- part was touring the
don hotels, the family Maze with her folks.
friendly Premier Inn Also on our Lon-
(next to the London don list was, of course,
Eye, and a 5-minute the Tower of London,
walk across the West- which we visited the
minster bridge to Par- following day. Right by
liament and our hotel is the boat
Westminster Abbey). bus landing, so it was a
Carl and I headed off to convenient 25-minute
nearby Wahaca (great cruise to the Tower.
Mexican food!) for an Theboatislarge,witha
early supper while bar, and indoor and
Kalea and her folks outdoor seating.
rode the popular London Eye for a slow-moving bird's- I've always loved the Tower's entertaining and hu-
eye view. morous Beefeater tours, but the large group we joined
Thenextmorningwestrolled10minutestoWater- made it hard to hear the commentary. (Next time I
loo Station for a 40-minute train ride to Hampton would splurge on the private tour.)
Court. It was pouring rain when we arrived so we opted I then insisted that we see the Crown Jewels, be-
totourinsidefirst,thenhopedtowalkthroughthechal- cause I knew that lines there could be long. That was a
lenging garden Maze afterwards if the rain let up. highlight for Kalea. Just before stepping into the mas-
“Who lived here?” I prodded Kalea. sive vault to see the magnificent diamonds, crowns,
“Henry the Eighth!” sceptersandorbs—andQueenElizabethII'scoronation
robe--we especially loved viewing the color film of her
“And who was his daughter who also lived here?
televised 1953 coronation in Westminster Abbey,
“Queen Elizabeth the First!” whichmadeitevenmoremeaningfultoseetheseprice-

204 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE 2020