While this past weekend was Memorial Day in the United States, it was May Bank Holiday in the UK; no, the English don't do national holidays. So, to commemorate the occasion, we, along with our friends Jon and Chrissy, decided to take a trip from Cambridge to Windsor Castle. This was a momentous day, not just because of it being a bank holiday weekend, but because, for the first time, we would be using Streetcar to take a trip within the UK.
What is Streetcar? Streetcar is a 'car sharing' program. A car share differs from a car rental in that the cars are more convenient to pickup/dropoff and that the rates are more 'pay-as-you-go.' Membership is annual and includes comprehensive insurance for all journeys. It is, for those of us of limited means, drastically cheaper than actually owning a car. If we were to try to own a car, we would not be able to afford a new VW Golf or Polo BlueMotion; the cars that make up the entirety of the Streetcar fleet. Furthermore, it enables us to take daytrips wherever and whenever we may like. Admittedly, it sounds like something that this guy might enjoy, but (as someone more accustomed to this) it is a novel and innovative way to include the freedom of automotive transport in your travel portfolio if owning a car isn't a constant necessity.
Picking up a Streetcar is simple. Every member has a 'Streetcard.' When you arrive at the car, you hold the Streetcard against the windshield and over the card reader. The car is then unlocked. A PIN-pad is located in the glove compartment. If you have a valid booking, the PIN-pad will release the car keys to you. From then, the Streetcar is locked/unlocked just like a normal car. Each car also is iPod-dockable, allowing the user to avoid the vast, aesthetically barren landscape of BBC Radio. Members are responsible for reporting any damage they incur whilst driving. They are also responsible for cleaning the car if it gets exceptionally dirty during their trip. Otherwise, Streetcar has a team of valets who come out and regularly clean the car.
Our faithful steed for this trip was the Golf BlueMotion 'Undalo' (every Streetcar has a name. For our trip to Devon we will be taking the Polo BlueMotion 'Kaia', for all you Willow fans out there). Volkswagen has been applying the 'BlueMotion' treatment to its diesel-powered vehicles, making them some of the most fuel efficient vehicles available for purchase (everywhere but the US). For example, we averaged a combined 60 MPG (take THAT Prius owners) in city and highway driving over approximately 200 miles worth of driving. The engine was a bit noisier than other modern diesels at low revs, but was otherwise unnoticeable at 70-80 miles per hour on the motorway. All-in-all, we thoroughly enjoyed how easy it was to use the Streetcar and were sufficiently pleased with the VW that we would consider owning one, should they come for sale to the US.
Enough about cars. We know you're all here to hear about the castle.
And what a castle that is. Windsor Castle is the largest occupied castle in the world. It is the official residence of HM Queen Elizabeth II, and the royal seat of the House of Windsor (-Mountbatten, for you students of history). As you walk through the ticket queue, there are posters on the wall proudly trumpeting that Windsor Castle has been the home of the English royal family for more than 900 years. Unlike the other castles that we have visited in the UK (Caerphilly in Wales, Edinburgh in... well... Edinburgh), Windsor Castle is almost absurdly well-kept. It is an unbelievably big structure. There is no missing it once you enter Windsor. Furthermore, everything is incredibly clean and meticulously groomed. Of course, there is no walking on the grass.
Sadly, for you medieval enthusiasts, the castle no longer has a moat. Instead, in what has to be one of the single greatest aesthetic decisions in the history of wealth, the moat has been turned into a botanic garden. It was incredibly beautiful. As the castle is still a functioning residence, the majority of it remains off limits to the public. Hence, while Windsor is very large, the public is allowed access to only a small part of it. This includes the old State Apartments, Queen Mary's dollhouse (for all you ladies out there), and St. George's Chapel; the burial site for pretty much every king you've heard of. It was all of it amazing and impressive.
After castling, we drove to the Castle's backyard: Windsor Great Park. 1000 acres is a lot of land in an absolute sense. In England, that is an almost unheard of amount of land preserved as public green space. While we weren't able to get to the Long Walk, we were able to have a lovely picnic on the outskirts of the park; strawberries, lemonade, and all. In spite of what all the pictures show (and yes, it was that nice), we were truly blessed to have such a beautiful, sunny weekend. Even though rain has been sparse (by English standards) this Spring, it was still the first truly sunny day in a long while.
The drive down to Windsor had been something of a breeze; taking not much more than an hour and a half. On the drive back, however, the M25 decided to reveal her true nature. While we weren't stuck in traffic for more than 30 minutes, we were reminded that driving in the UK can be an incredibly tiresome affair. Nevertheless, between the beautiful weather, company, and surroundings, we had an exceedingly wonderful day out. Our next Streetcar journey will be to the Southwest (of England) and the majestic countryside of Devon. Suffice to say, we can't wait to get in our hippie-mobile and drive.
1 comment:
Yay for traveling and Will having his UK license! Interesting to note, they have been advertising those VW clean diesel cars here in Hawaii, so perhaps they are preparing the American market? Maybe by the time you get back they'll have them?
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