From Palace to Palais

October has been my true month of travel experiences so far. Windsor Castle was a grand start to the experiences and sites that Europe can offer, but as it turned out, a start only. Late October (my half-term break) was my time to cut loose from the restraints of exhaustive schoolwork and set off on a week long journey through western Europe (October 21-28 to be exact).

The journey was one that had been planned months in advance by myself and a friend back in Australia. Pria, one of the numerous flatmates at my last abode in convict country (:P), is a true champion when it comes to organising and becoming involved in travel endeavours. His plan on this occasion was a 10 week tour of the major cities of Russia, Europe and North America. His trip was starting in September, I was going to be in the UK by late August, clearly there was going to be a good chance that we could coincide part of our plans. This we managed, though when I say "we" I really mean that Pria did most of the organising and I provided details of when I would be on break (Pria, your'e a good guy). My 'exhaustive' effort aside, we arranged to coincide our travels on the last leg of Pria's European jaunting - Brussells, Luxembourg City and Paris were the cities of choice.

Once in the UK I managed to refine my travelling arrangements - a flight to Brussells, trains to Luxembourg and Paris and a flight back to London from Paris. The day before my flight to Brussells I even managed to arrange to go on Year 5 school trip to Hampton Court Palace (on the Thames downriver from Windsor Castle), so I had a good schedule of sites and experiences stretching before me on the week of my half-term break.

My pre-holiday excursion trip (October 20) was a good way to set-the-scene for the week of travel I had ahead. Hampton Court Palace is one of the many former residences of the Royal Family - unused now since the 18th century (except for some official ceremonies and occasions). When I say unused this is not to imply that the palace is somehow less impressive. It has in fact been kept in pristine condition, especially since Queen Victoria first opened up the palace to the public in the 19th century. A long tradition of tourism to the site has continued since and a number of renovation programs have kept the palace a place very much worthy of visiting.

The palace can essentially be divided into two parts, the northern Tudor residence of Cardinal Wolsey and Henry VIII and the Baroque style southern entrance designed by Christopher Wren during the late 16th century (you just cannot avoid this guy - his work is everywhere). As with Windsor Castle there are some amazing interiors - particularly the Queen's state rooms (built for the Mary of Mary and William of Orange fame). The Tudor side of the palace has a much more laid back feel to it however - something along the lines of a particularly large and impressive hunting lodge. There were for example stag heads on the walls, suits of armour, various weapons, war paintings and tapestries of biblical proportions (literally - they had scenes of various patriachs and kings from the Old Testament on their wall covering endeavours).

The northern Tudor entrance to Hampton Court Palace. Some of the Year 5 students from Sherfield School are in the foreground.


The southern entrance, the 17th century Baroque style wields a deep contrast to the 16th century Tudor architecture.

These Year 5's are a history loving bunch - I think even this guy was impressed.


The medieval feeling to the Tudor part of the palace is further exemplified by visiting the cooking halls, stables, armoury and dining halls (what is left of them - they were far larger in Henry VIII's day):

One of the many alleyways leading through the Tudor section of the palace.


The requisite puzzle solving for the children in the dining halls.


A last goodbye to Hampton Court Palace...

Well all good things must come to an end - in this case the school day, so after a last stop at the souvenier shop we packed those kids off and headed back to school. For me it was time to get back home and get ready for my trip.

The next day dawned, October 21st, and I was off to Heathrow. After a rather long and painful wait amongst the masses of holidaymakers I managed to get on my plane relatively hassle free and make my merry way to the mainland. An interestingly short flight it must be said, about 45 mins to get from London to Brussells - the flight staff were actually struggling to get food and drink out in time to everyone before the flight ended. In any case, a couple of short train trips later and I was at Brussells Nord station, where a short walk led me to the hostel and a close encounter of the third kind...

Introducing Pria, esteemed friend and one time flatmate. The photo below was taken an hour or two after we met up at the hostel in Brussells. Notice that I am still using my deficient digitial camera at this stage - I would buy a new one in Paris.


Pria and a Belgian waffle - it was love at first sight.


In my next post: A journey thought provoking and provocative: Brussells: City of the Damned...

Well actually no, not quite that provocative - but hey, it sounds good

And just to tie this post together in some semblance of dignity:

I would see a number of palaces on my western European trip, the last and grandest palace in the smorgasboard, even over Windsor Castle, would be the Palais De Versailles.

Thus: "Palace to Palais" - Palais being the French and Flemish term for an urban palace (technically Versailles is thus actually a Chateau, the French term for a country palace).

Palais De Versailles - the last palace in the smorgasboard and incidently a terrible photo of me.