London is a beautiful and grand city with two thousand years of history. It is the capital of England and the United Kingdom and has had an influence on world affairs for many centuries. On Sunday, 26 October, you will have the opportunity to go just west of the city, to an area surrounded by fields of green, to sites that have shaped much of this history.

Departing at about 12:30, a bus will pick everyone up from the Metropole. A short drive west takes will take you past the water meadows of Runnymede, where King John is said to have sealed Magna Carta, arguably the foundation of British democracy and the Common Law system. A few miles along the banks of the River Thames lies Windsor. This is the largest and oldest inhabited castle in the world and the principal country residence of Her Majesty the Queen. William the Conqueror began this stupendous royal fortress about the same time as the Tower of London was begun in 1078. Windsor has always been one of the favorite residences of the reigning monarch, and whose name the Royal Family has borne since 1915. The most important architectural structure within the castle is the 16th century St. George’s Chapel, which ranks with King’s College Chapel in Cambridge, and Henry VII's Chapel in Westminster as the finest example of English late Gothic work. The State Apartments are the formal rooms used for Court ceremonial, State, and Official occasions.

These structures have been restored to their original glory and sparkle with sumptuous chandeliers and gilded ceilings. The rich silk wall coverings set off wonderful paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Gainsborough, Van Dyck, Holbein, Canaletto… and each room is beautifully furnished according to its use. Time permitting a visit will be included to Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, created in the 1920s for the wife of King George V. A thousand artists and craftsman built the house with great skill on a scale of 1:12. The Gallery has a small changing exhibition of drawing, watercolors, and photographs from the Royal Collection.

Arrival back at the Metropole will be at approximately 17:00.

You can see a Google Map of the location here.

A limited number of spaces are available, so be sure to sign up early for this exciting day trip!

We thank our partner Spectra for organizing this day trip. Visit their web site at www.spectra-dmc.com.