Windsor Castle

A couple weeks back when my mom was still visiting us, she and I loaded up Caroline and took a quick half hour train trip out to Windsor to visit the castle there.  For the sake of brevity, and just so all of my sight-seeing posts don't look exactly the same, I'll fill you in on some facts about the castle.

Windsor Castle:

• As all medieval castles should be, it's perched on a hill and overlooks the countryside for miles.  Helpful for that ever-present threat of invasion!  Or, rather, it was helpful back in the day, and now it's just extra beautiful.
• First built by William the Conqueror after the Norman invasion of 1066
• Boasts fabulously lavish state apartments, complete with priceless works of art.  In fact, King Charles II built part of it up to rival his cousin Louis XIV's Versailles, which is located outside of Paris.  There are some definite similarities.
• A favorite weekend home of Queen Elizabeth II and her family.
• Home to Queen Mary's dollhouse, a perfect miniature of an aristocratic home in around the 1920's.  At the time it was constructed, the leading artists and writers sent original pieces to be added.  It even includes running water, working elevators, and flushing toilets.  Very cool.

All in all, a great day trip.  And - bonus - the town of Windsor is impossibly cute.