Today was a bit shorter in terms of excursions. The first thing we did was take a coach to Windsor Castle. Once we got off the M25, the drive was beautiful. We could see the River Thames, the supposed area where the Magna Carta was signed, and Old Windsor. We were also able to catch glances of Windsor Castle along the way as it is perched up on the hill. To get to the castle from where our bus let us off, we walked through a shopping center called Windsor Royal Shopping that is a part of a railway station. When we got to the castle, my group opted to do an audio tour which led us to Queen Mary's Dolls' House located within the castle. The dollhouse was built for Queen Mary, the wife of King George V. Its massive size and delicate craftsmanship was impressive to look at. After that, we found our way to the Upper Ward, which is a large courtyard situated where the higher levels of the castle are. Unfortunately, it was gated off but it was nice to look at. We then worked our way down to St. George's Chapel which is where King Henry VIII is buried as well as where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got married. The chapel was beautiful with the stonework, stained glass, and high vaulted ceilings (we weren't allowed to take pictures inside, however). In the Lower Ward, where the chapel is located, we also saw the Queen's Guard where Ziad tried to tell the posted soldier a joke (he didn't laugh). One thing I loved about our trip there was the terrace on the north side of the castle which provided great views of the River Thames as well as the town of Slough and the surrounding hillside.
Round Tower
Upper Ward
St. George's Chapel
After we got back to the school, we all had Afternoon Tea. There were brownies, scones, berries, and a variety of teas to choose from (I chose green tea). The tea cups had really small handles and all of the guys at our table found it awkward to hold them.
Afternoon Tea with the boys
Not long after, we met with Augusto, the Director of ACS America, who told us more about ACS as well as his personal travels. He told us that before the pandemic, he would travel to forty countries each year. His most important piece of advice was to travel more because it is the best way to get outside of your comfort zone and have a better view of the world. Right after the meeting, I was able to fit in a nine-mile long run before dinner. After dinner, our house parents organized us into Hogwarts houses where we would compete against the other houses each night for points. I was sorted into Gryffindor by the sorting hat. We then learned how to play the English game of rounders, which is similar to baseball. Unfortunately, Gryffindor lost but we have more points to win back in the coming days.
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