We both had better sleeps last night and with a fine, warm day forecast we headed out to catch the 9:36am South Western train from Waterloo to Hampton Court. We arrived at the small town of Hampton Court just after 10am and walked the short distance from the Hampton Court Station, crossed over the Thames River (it seems to be everywhere we go), and in to Hampton Court Palace (free with London Passes). It was not at all crowded at this time and we picked up what turned out to be really excellent audioguides (I was offered headphones this time - really helpful when also trying to manoeuvre a walking stick, camera, and iPhone camera).
We ended up touring almost all sections of the palace: Henry VIII's Kitchens, Henry VIII's Apartments, Young Henry VIII's Story, William III's Apartments, and the Georgian Story. All were fascinating, but I especially enjoyed the kitchens and the Chapel. It was amazing to think of Henry, his wives, and his children (Mary, Elizabeth I, and Edward VI), Cardinal Wolsey... all wandering through these rooms. There was SO much to see, and all so well described in the audioguide and signage.
In amongst all of that we had a brief stop for lunch (baked potato for me, and sandwiches for David). Then we walked out in the gardens, checked out the interesting original indoor tennis court (where a game was in progress) and later had coffees (with a slice of GF Victorian Sponge for me) in the tilting yard cafe - an area where jousting used to take place. Next, we wandered over to the maze but didn't indulge - there were lots of children running around, and my feet had had enough.
We caught the 3:54pm train back to Waterloo, and by 5pm we were sitting in our hotel's bar with a drink, and later ordering dinner. We'd had a very enjoyable and interesting day. Unfortunately, I had begun to feel a bit off-colour during the last hour of the day - probably a result of the woman who'd been sitting opposite me on a tube train on Sunday, sounding unwell and coughing without covering her mouth (everyone had been eyeing her with annoyance)... Fingers crossed - I was all doped up and in bed by 7pm!
We ended up touring almost all sections of the palace: Henry VIII's Kitchens, Henry VIII's Apartments, Young Henry VIII's Story, William III's Apartments, and the Georgian Story. All were fascinating, but I especially enjoyed the kitchens and the Chapel. It was amazing to think of Henry, his wives, and his children (Mary, Elizabeth I, and Edward VI), Cardinal Wolsey... all wandering through these rooms. There was SO much to see, and all so well described in the audioguide and signage.
In amongst all of that we had a brief stop for lunch (baked potato for me, and sandwiches for David). Then we walked out in the gardens, checked out the interesting original indoor tennis court (where a game was in progress) and later had coffees (with a slice of GF Victorian Sponge for me) in the tilting yard cafe - an area where jousting used to take place. Next, we wandered over to the maze but didn't indulge - there were lots of children running around, and my feet had had enough.
We caught the 3:54pm train back to Waterloo, and by 5pm we were sitting in our hotel's bar with a drink, and later ordering dinner. We'd had a very enjoyable and interesting day. Unfortunately, I had begun to feel a bit off-colour during the last hour of the day - probably a result of the woman who'd been sitting opposite me on a tube train on Sunday, sounding unwell and coughing without covering her mouth (everyone had been eyeing her with annoyance)... Fingers crossed - I was all doped up and in bed by 7pm!
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