England .....6: The Ancients

North Americans often feel the ancient vibes from Europe.  Even though we can stand at the edge of the Rocky Mountains or the Grand Canyon, both millions of years old, we still feel a different vibe from the ancient signs of human habitation in Europe.

Two things struck me that way most profoundly on the recent England trip: the ancient trees at Windsor Castle, and Stonehenge.

Some of these ancient trees pictured above on the estate at Windsor Castle, were there when Henry VIII and Ann Boleyn flirted in the fields while riding.  Some of these most ancient oaks and elms may have seen Magna Carta signatories, or even watched William the Conqueror ride by as he mused that a castle might be good here in Windsor.

And of course, Stonehenge!  I blogged earlier about feeling the vibes from the place: air like pure oxygen and tingling fingers.  It changed me.

These are the processed images from those places, with the intensity I felt.

God save our Queen....5: in motion

OK.  The theme of "in motion" in this blog title may be inscrutably thin for the Queen's jubilee theme.  But I had some cool shots that are part of festive Britain, jubilee style that I didn't know where else to put.

Included here are a McLaren formula one car (on a wall in a store front no less!), a person running, a person cycling, a cab through our hotel lobby, and a couple of monumental sculptures to keep the jubilee theme alive: one is an over sized gold thing in Kensington, to Albert, Queen Victoria's dead love and the other is the most fun orange wooden sculpture woman I saw on the trip (in a humble pub).  Finally, there is a tube stop that just seemed festive too!

Long live our Queen....4: Windsor Castle

No jubilee would be complete without the castle.  Here is Windsor, home of the British monarchs since Bill the Conquerant broke ground in 1066.  It is the oldest continuously inhabited real castle on earth.

Pictured here are the train station, views of the castle, the moat garden, a few rooms and of course, the loo.  How many of you can say you used the Queen's loo?  Put up your hands.

Long live the Queen....3: the people

Of course the people celebrating Britain are the Brits (and everyone else who's in town).  I was struck by the positive attitude and festive mood.
 
The colour crimson/purple seemed to be everywhere.  It cropped up in more of my pictures than I could believe.  I don't know if there is an official colour to this jubilee, but I know I've got my version.

Here are some folks being....well.....Brits.

Long live our noble Queen

In all the excitement of getting home, I nearly forgot to mention the diamond jubilee of Queen Elizabeth.  We were there the week before and London looked splendid; flags and festive colours everywhere.  It was in the air.

I love the queen: she is a safety valve against prime ministers who can't tell democracy from dictatorshit.  If push comes to shove, she can be a real ally when you're under pressure from some cheap trick who has nothing but disdain for parliamentary democracy.

But enough of that.  Party on Britain. No one does it better!