I woke up, of my own accord, at 5 am and decided that it would be best to go ahead and get going since my battery range meant that I had to stop halfway and recharge.
I got everything packed up and I was on my way by 5:45. After a couple of villages I made it onto the M1 and headed south. I had 135 miles of range to make it 80 miles to the charging bank, which should have been enough, but the mileage was dropping fast and the car was feeling a bit sluggish when I stopped accelerating. I made it to the charging bank with a few miles to spare, and discovered the problem. Slow tire leak.
This is range anxiety. 16% battery should be able to cover more than 9 miles…
I plugged in the car and located an air pump at the service station, and after I charged the car I aired up the tire. I just hope it can last until tomorrow morning when I drop this thing off. I think electric cars are great for the city, but if you’re someone that likes to drive long distances straight through (like I do) it’s a no go. I had been on the fence, but this frustration settles it. I’m going to stick with a high range hybrid or flex fuel vehicle next time. We just don’t have good infrastructure yet (not in the UK and definitely not in the US).
I drove on to Bletchley and found another bank of superchargers a short way from the park, so I charged the car again. I got to Bletchley just after it opened, and I had the mansion, the huts, and the film screening rooms pretty much all to myself. Bletchley Park was the center of British codebreaking efforts during WWII, and it’s where Enigma and many other codes used by the Axis were broken.
It’s a fascinating place to visit and learn about how intelligence gathering happened during WWII and how it specifically impacted operations like the D-Day landings at Normandy. I walked through the mansion, the huts where Alan Turing and his team worked, and the exhibits that discussed the larger intelligence “factory” that was created—75% staffed by women and girls listening in on German communications.
I headed back on the road to Windsor and Eton and stopped for lunch and to do (what I very much hope is) the last charge for the car. I drove the rest of the way into the very narrow streets of Eton and vainly searched for parking at any of the actual parking lots. No such luck. As I was driving around, I spotted a side street where everyone was parking on the side of the road, so I parallel parked and left everything in the car since it was too early to check in.
*Manic laughing at the futility of parking legally in Eton*
I located my inn and then I walked across the Thames and up the hill to Windsor Castle.
I had been here last when I was 16 and I didn’t remember much about it except for Queen Mary’s Dollhouse, which I still have the book about. It was a good thing, since the line for the dollhouse was 20 times longer than the line for the Royal Apartments. I gave it a pass this go around.
Unfortunately, there is no photography allowed in the Royal Apartments, so these are photos I took from the official guidebook so you can have an idea what it looks like inside.
The paintings alone are extraordinary, and include a lot of the Tudor artwork that is very familiar from English history books. I was also today years old when I discovered that “drawing room” is short for “withdrawing room” as in, a quiet space to relax and unwind. New life goal is to have a drawing room.
I went through the Royal Apartments and the courtyard then decided to head out since it was very crowded and claustrophobic after the much quieter atmosphere of Chatsworth.
I got one of the teacups made in memory of Queen Elizabeth II on the way out.
I walked through the streets around Windsor and got an ice cream, then continued walking through Eton looking at the shops and architecture.
There’s a lot of beautiful old buildings in the streets around the castle and the college and it’s very quaint once you get away from the tourist areas.
It was still a while before I could check in so I walked back to the car and got my bags sorted and just relaxed for a bit, listening to Persuasion. I needed some quiet after Windsor Castle.
Around 4 o’clock I got my overnight bag and walked back to the pub to check in. I discovered that the place where I parked isn’t allowed (shocking…) so the guys at the pub suggested that I wait until more people leave after 5 pm and try and find a space to park in the parking lots after that. The internet in the room isn’t working (this inn is in last place for this trip for sure) so I just messed around with the codebreaking book I got at Bletchley until after 5. I was able to find parking and moved the car someplace legal to park (hurray! No 100 pound ticket!), and went to the pub for dinner, which was alright.
I ended up paying for WiFi so that I could upload photos while I was eating. I got a cider to attempt to forget how many car-related issues I’ve had today. Over. It. Can’t wait to drop this thing off at the airport in the morning.
I went back to the room, got ready for bed, and settled down to read. It’s been a long driving day and tomorrow is a long airport/airplane day.
Final hotel rankings
Broad Street Townhouse (Bath) - Great location, includes breakfast, huge bathroom, people were great. I liked that I could come and go as I liked, but it was still very homey. Highly recommend!
Lyme Townhouse (Lyme) - Big room, weird bathroom (with shower stairs?), bit out of the way, but there was a parking lot and a supercharger nearby. Nice breakfast and the people were great. Would recommend.
54 Queen’s Gate (London) - Tiny but comfortable room, close to the V&A and tube. Would recommend.
Devonshire Arms (Baslow) - Weird ikea vibe, lumpy bed, bad internet, a bit dated but at least there was a bathtub for soaking. People were nice and the restaurant was good! Would stay again.
The George (Eton) - Had to sleep in a double room/twin bed since there was a “maintenance issue” with the single, really late check-in time, no internet, no parking, no LOCK on the DOOR(??!?). I guess it’s…close to Windsor?Never again.
Seriously. Wft?
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