Guard Mounting

Having seen the smaller squads moving into place, it was fun to watch the large squad changeover, with several portions of the two guard groups moving left and right, forward and back in time-tested formations. It reminded me again of the feeling I had at the Tower of London, the feeling of time, of age, of solidity, of permanence. The traditions of the Guard Mounting, the age of the Windsor Castle, the feeling of connection that covers a true Millennium were all highlights of the trip.

Next post will revert to a far older time and age. Meanwhile, a poem:

ONE MILLENNIUM

One thousand years is a long time for anyone, especially an American;
Next year we have plans to return to Washington and travel once again to
Mount Vernon, for instance, where George Washington live more than two
Centuries ago, a truth that inspires awe and respect to innocent spectators.
Today we visited the Tower of London, built by William the Conqueror,
Five centuries was the seat of royal power in London, built around 1080,
Nearly ten centuries ago, nearly five times the age of Mount Vernon.
Respect is still natural and still lives in our hearts for Washington, but
Perspective makes the age of this London monument truly awesome.

Changing of the Guard

We had spent a reasonably long time inside the state rooms at Windsor, following the rules against any indoor photography, when we began to walk down toward the gift shop and the parade area. As we noticed, outside the private residence area, one of the navy-clad Grenadier Guards stood at attention, on guard. We began to walk toward the chapel and came upon a squad being led by one of the Grenadier Guards but consisting of the red-tuniced Scots Guards, identifiable because there was no plume on the bearskin hat. And so we found out -- up close -- what the changing involves.

We followed the squad and watched as the group approached the guard on duty, went through the appropriate steps, and relieved that Grenadier, replacing him with one of the Scots. Off the group marched, working to drop off one of the Scots and pick up one of the Grenadiers at each post. What most people consider the "changing of the guard" -- which we will see in the next post -- is what follows. The cadre that had been on duty for the past 24 hours marches out with all the pomp and circumstance as the new cadre takes over the duty. And we had seen the preparation, as the new guards replaced the old ones one by one. The two uniforms we saw are only two of the five regiments of foot guards that rotate in and out of duty at each of the two royal residences. The other three regiments are Irish Guards, Welsh Guards, and Coldstream Guards.

What we missed at Buckingham Palace was more than replaced by what we saw and learned at Windsor.

Windsor Gates & Guards

Windsor Castle has powerful and interesting things to see in every direction. Whether a gate frames a tower or an impressive building looms up ahead or whether a guard cadre comes marching by, there is always something to see.

Of course, since we had been cancelled out of seeing a changing of the guard -- more correctly, a Guard Mounting -- at Buckingham, it was interesting to see guards uniformed in navy blue as seen here. This squad is apparently Grenadier Guards as seen my the buttons arranged singly. At the moment, it seemed that the familiar red tunics with the beaskin hats were not to be seen. On the other hand, since I had no idea at all what a "changing of the guard" entailed, I had no reason to expect the red coats or anything else. A guide told us we would be around for a changing right there at Windsor, and it was an interesting learning experience. More on the next post.

Windsor Castle

Our trip to Windsor Castle was a pleasant bus ride ending at what is reputedly Queen Elizabeth's favorite official castle. We found out that the monarch has three major official residences including Windsor and Buckingham, and that she has three more homes that are the property of her and her family and thus personal residences. But I had no idea how interesting and historic that the visit to Windsor would be. At Buckingham Palace, for instance, tourists are out on the periphery, on the sidewalk actually, much as they are at the White House. But at Windsor, while the extensive buildings that include the residences are not accessible, much of the grounds is open for touring, for walking, for enjoying the depth of the history. Whatever a person might believe about the history and future of monarchy, the spread of history is undeniable.

After all, this bulwark was built originally under the reign of William the Conqueror more than nine hundred years ago. More views of this classic fortress in the next post.

Back on the Bus

After the quick visit to Mona Lisa, it was time for a slow bus ride through the rush hour traffic of north Paris. Back over the Seine and through the shopping district, intent on coming back to the City of Lights and spending lots more time there. After another smooth Eurostar ride to London, it was nice to see our classic hotel, the Jolly St. Ermin's, bathed in warm light.

Two Poems:

TOWERS

Eighteen months ago in Las Vegas I visited the top of the faux Eiffel Tower;
A wonderful view of the south Strip, based on a one-half scale of the original.
Looking up at the real thing, I thought it looked more like ten times the size,
Fitted with marvelous views of the Seine and an excellent restaurant, we wined
And dined with a half-dozen new friends, snapping several photographs.
I knew in Vegas that the real thing was a lot better, especially when I realized the
Tour of the Tower I thought I was taking was the Tour Eiffel, not a tour.
Now I know better.


TIME FLIES

Time flies when you are having fun, as the cliché goes, and seeing all of Paris
In one day qualifies as time flying and at supersonic speeds.
Next time, time in Paris will be measured in days not hours and we will find
Another Bordeaux nearly as good as the one we loved up the Tour.

Victory & Mona Lisa

After our river tour, we were bussed to the Louvre, one of the greatest art museums on earth, and turned loose to see whatever we wanted to see, taking our sweet time as we chose, all with a time limit of an hour and a quarter. Basically, the plan is to follow the arrows to see Mona Lisa and put some speed on it.

To a person familiar with the Art Institute of Chicago, another great art museum but of course smaller, the contrast is powerful. On a late Wednesday afternoon, the Louvre was hot and sticky, crowded with people and with little movement of air. In Chicago, the artworks are protected by steady temperatures and humidity levels. Wonder if the artworks need the protection?

As we hurried past other great works of art, we were able to see Winged Victory in a stairwell on the way to see Mona Lisa. But another contrast is one of great interest to photographers. In several museums, especially art museums, photography is prohibited in order 'to protect the works of art.' This is patently untrue, of course, is ALL photography is banned, as any image collected by my camera without flash cannot adversely affect a painting. But even flash is in question in my mind, as the Louvre has no restrictions on flash and no extra cost for a photo permit. Interesting!

The hustle to see Mona Lisa? It was worth it.

On the Seine

After completing our panoramic view of Paris, we boarded a large tour boat for a nice one-hour view of the city from the Seine. We saw lots of bridges, plenty of river traffic, and the river view of several important buildings. From the river, the view of Notre Dame is impressive, although less so than standing on the sidewalk -- something that will happen on our next trip to Paris.

Other than Notre Dame and the bridges, with their decorative columns, the most impressive building seen was the Louvre. And we did have the time to visit there, which will be the subject of the next post.