It is our last full day in England. It is Sunday mid-morning. Betty has the travel plan. We will take the District Line to the end of the District Line, Richmond. We will then take a boat up the Thames to Hampton Court.
On Betty's first visit to England, she had traveled up river from London. Our boat trip will be shorter.
The weather has improved. The rain has stopped and the sun shines through the clouds. We add monies to our Oyster Cards. After Greenwich and Oxford, we are not certain if the balance is adequate for the return trip.
Richmond is a bedroom community to London. It is crowded on this Sunday. After two days of poor weather, people want to enjoy the sunshine. Richmond has a great deal going for it. On the Thames and within a commute of London, I am sure that this is an attractive place to live.
We have no real idea where the river is or where the tourist boat docks may be. Betty takes the lead. We turn left from the station. I am hungry. Food is more on my mind than locating the river. We hesitate at an intersection. We follow the first rule of being a tourists. "When it doubt, follow the crowd". It works and there is the Thames.
Both sides of the river have wide paved walks. It is almost noon and people are strolling the banks of the river. There is another "Youngs Brewery". We have no plans. So first, we need to find a tourist boat and then find out if the boat stops and when. It is not as easy as we thought. We walk about a quarter of a mile.
Betty spots the ticket office. It is a small frame structure. Not anything like the ticket offices we have experienced in Greenwich and the Embankment. The attendant is a young woman with her husband, father and daughter on the boat dock. It is very casual affair.
"When is the next boat to Hampton Court?.
"One O'clock"
It is about noon. We buy tickets. It is lunch time. It is short walk to a deli just up the hill. We order at the counter. Food is delivered to the table. The food is good. I definitely notice that the prices are less than London.
The boat arrives about forty-five minutes late. It is a smaller, older boat. The boat has been delayed by the river lock system. Apparently, the river is crowded down river.
On the water, the wind intensifies the cold air. We stay inside. The windows are old and are glazed from water. It is difficult to see out clearly.
Betty remembers from her last visit that the banks of the river are lined with stately homes and estates. We are attentive. The husband of the ticket lady has told us that the estates are up river and we should see shortly after starting.
He was wrong. Both sides of the river are lined with walking paths and trees. The walking paths are well used by the locals. The British like to stroll and it is a pleasant afternoon (except on the water).
There are homes and small boat docks both private and clubs. There are few bridges. It is very much a rural setting.
We approach the Teddington Lock. I have never been on a boat going through a lock. It is very interesting to watch the machinery at work. With all the traffic on the river, it still is one boat at a time.
After a thirty five minute ride, we pull up to the Hampton Court dock. We check the schedule for the ride back. It is Sunday so the weekend schedule may be an issue. It looks like 1700 (5 PM) is the last boat back to Richmond. Just in case, we develop a second plan. There is a train station across the bridge from the castle.
There is a fascination with the Tudors. This is particularly true of Henry VIII, A Nation creates their heroes. The British Museums and Galleries ignore Cromwell and the Commonwealth. Justly so, when a nation is proud of your present monarchy as a tourist attraction, it is not a good idea to mention that your Parliament beheaded their king.
What I find interesting is that there is not a lot of gloating about Elizabeth I and the Elizabethan Period (other than Shakespeare and Oxford's hero Sir Francis Bacon). They do like Henry VIII.
Hampton Court defines Henry VIII. It is a castle envisioned by a TV event. The castle was built by Cardinal Wosley; confiscated by Henry (Henry was not into "sharing") and redesigned by Christopher Wren for William of Orange and Queen Mary. I am always impressed that the English throne has been a "hot potato" and how short some of the dynasties have been.
The castle is definitely tourist friendly. The castle is separated into two sections. There is the original Tudor which includes the Great Hall (the last great medieval hall). At times during Henry's reign as many as 8,000 people would be attendance while he held court.
A highlight of the tour is the extensive kitchen. The heat and the labor in those rooms would have been intensive. Three meals for royalty, aristocrats, retainers and the household staff was a 24 hour effort. The amount of food and wine consumed was truly huge.
We did not get a opportunity to view the Chapel. We did see the bedrooms including Ann Boleyn.
As I walk through this portion of the castle, I wonder why Henry's motivations are not analyzed more. The image of a rotund man (well over 400 lbs at his death)who was obsessive and self indulgent. Henry murdered his wives and betrayed and killed friends.
The young Henry was tall and handsome. He excelled in Royal Tennis, riding and was physical active. Henry also gained the throne due to the sudden death of his older brother, Henry. His father was tyrannical who gained the throne through a civil war (War of the Roses). Why would we think that Henry would be anything other than insecure, paranoid, violent, self indulgent, envious and fearful of death.
In his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, Henry was truly in love. The marriage lasted nearly 24 years.
We often misunderstand that political intrigue and murder were common to the of monarchies of Europe and, for that matter, the rest of history and world. One of the advantages of democracy is that it allows for bloodless transition of governments. One of the great surprises of American History is that Washington peacefully accepted the election of John Adams.
The English monarchies had been in conflict with the Pope for decades. The Roman church was controlled by the princes of France and Hapsburg Empire. The clerics of England were governed by the Pope and Canon Law. Wealth was concentrated in the Church. Henry was very envious of the wealth and military prowess of Francis I of France. The throne of England was the trophy most sought may the kings of Spain and France.
Henry was running out of money, He has no reason to trust his nobles and his advisers. But, why the weight gain? He shared his predicament with all the monarchies of Europe. Just a thought, why the tremendous weight.
When you complete the Tudor tour, you walk to the other side of Hampton Court. I climb stairs and tour the section of the castle that is Baroque. The British definitely have a conflicted attitude with all things French. It is historical. Henry VIII had a city of gold built on the shores of England for the visit of Francis I. William of Orange and Queen Mary initiated a Wren design that resembled Versailles. They demolished half the castle including the staterooms of Henry VIII.
We stop at the coffee shop in the kitchen area. We still have the gardens to view. I am interested in viewing the Real Tennis Court that dates to Henry VIII. In his youth, Henry reportedly excelled at the game.
I am surprised that the game is still played. There is a national team. As I enter there is a coach working with a player. The game has some resemblance to Lawn Tennis. The inside court is approximately the size of a tennis court. The racquet is similar. One difference is that the ball is bounced off the back and side walls.
I watch for about ten minutes. Since they are practicing, I do not gain any insight into play or strategy. It is definitely a gentleman sport. At the practice, no sweats or warmups. It is white shirt, white shorts and white shoes.
The castle closes at 17:00 (5 PM) and we are cutting it close. Betty had decided to walk the gardens while I went to the Real Tennis. I walk out the front gate looking for a place to sit. I then realize that Betty may be looking for me within the castle. But, Betty knows me well and she is only slightly behind me.
We decide that we will take the train back. We are informed that there are trains back to London every hour. We decide to have an early dinner.
Throughout our travels, we have seen Pubs with "Swan" somewhere in the signage. The "Mute Swan" is across the road from Hampton Court and across the bridge from the train station.
I have to mention that when we travel we take risk. The maps and the locals say the train station is across the bridge and that there are trains to London running on this Sunday evening. We do not know where in London. Will our Oyster Card work? Can we buy a ticket? Will the Tube be running when we get there?
So we have dinner. The "Mute Swan" is more a restaurant than a Pub. We are seated quickly. Again, the young man understands the first and only rule of service - make the customer comfortable.
We order a bottle of Spanish red wine. It has been a great deal. As we start to review all we have accomplished, the wine taste great. That warm friendly feeling engulfs us.
We order dinner. Betty goes for a traditional "pie". It is her last chance for awhile and based upon the other dinners, there is a good chance it will be authentic. I have a small steak sandwich.
The food is very good. The ambience is exceptional. There are a few tourists. But the majority are locals. The table next to us is occupied by four ladies. There is a friendly, large Lab laying next to one of the ladies.
On the way out, Betty strikes up a conversation with the ladies. The ladies are interested where we are from in the States. The more talkative lady volunteers that she does not like dogs and cannot visit the US because of some youthful indiscretion. Apparently, US immigration do check those things.
It is about 1900 (7 PM) and we are cross the bridge and to our left is an empty, but open train station. We look at the printed schedule on the wall. It appears that all the trains arrive at the same station - Waterloo. I can think of nothing more appropriate way to end a trip to London than a train to Waterloo.
We flash our Oyster Cards at the machine. They work. The train coach is empty. We study the transit maps diligently. We decide that the worst that happens is that we ride to the end of the line and make decisions from there.
More people come on broad. We feel more comfortable. After about twenty minutes, the train leaves and we follow our progress on the overhead map. We are looking for the name of stations we know so we can transfer to the Tube. It is about 20:00 (8 PM) and it is a weekend schedule.
We arrive at Waterloo Station. It is the end of the line. We walk down the platform and follow signs to the Tube. Waterloo Station may be an older and established. The Tube station is both. There are multiple lines at various levels. The newer lines are on lower levels. So we move down the escalators to the District Line.
It is back to the hotel within ten minutes. We process the Oyster Cards and are refunded our deposit and the remainder on the cards. Hey, it worked.
Tomorrow, we check out and to begin the journey home.
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