Our latest installment of On the Road takes us to England, specifically my old stomping grounds of Windsor, Maidenhead and London. I was born in Windsor almost 30 years ago and was raised in the nearby town of Maidenhead. London is only a short drive or train ride away from the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, so we spent many weekends there.
While I always enjoyed our close proximity to London, my favorite memories of my eight years in England are of warm summer days spent outside. While the temperatures in the American South range from 80 to 95 degrees during the summer months, most June, July and August days in England were in the mid 60s or low 70s. I remember frolicking outside in breezy summer dresses and cardigans, hosting tea parties in the grass and taking long walks along the River Thames. As the river was only a short walk from our house, we enjoyed these walks on a regular basis. There were so many wonderful things to explore! I know that our love affair with nature began all of those years ago.
When Jonathan and I visited England together for the first time in August 2009, we spent the majority of our time in London, but we did take the train to Maidenhead so I could show him a little piece of my childhood. He experienced a similar childhood on this side of the pond, so he felt right at home on our nature walk. We completed the day with dinner at Chef Peking, a restaurant that my family loved even before I was in the picture.
Sadly, as I was searching for their website, I discovered they have closed. I guess I'm showing my age now. Since I can't give you a good restaurant recommendation, I would suggest that you visit the Marks and Spencer on the High Street. There you can get great sandwiches, sausage rolls, crisps (prawn cocktail and salt and vinegar are the best), bake well tarts and lemon fancies that will make for a wonderful British picnic lunch. Your afternoon can be spent on another stroll, this time in Windsor, which is the home of Windsor Castle and Queen Mary's dollhouse. There is also plenty of good shopping in Windsor as well as lots of quaint places to enjoy a cup of afternoon tea before you take the train back to London and the more typical tourist spots. :)
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