runnymead and windsor

today was our day trip and our first stop was at runnymead! this is where the magna carta was originally signed... pretty cool huh? there was also a monument to John F. Kennedy. For a second i thought i was in DC, but i just had to look at the green hills around me and realize where i was.
windsor was so so neat! we went to windsor castle and got to go inside. the queen still lives here on the weekends so only part of it was open, but it was still amazing. we had an audio guide tour... i usually hate those, and skip through a bunch- but today i listened to almost the whole thing. i am proud of myself.

{when the queen is there, the flag is flying}

i was so happy because we got to see some guards with the tall black hats! funny story: when i first took a picture next to him, i was scared to stand close to him... after my friend eliza took the photo she said, "wow could you have stood further away from him?" i felt silly... but i didn't know how close you could stand... i didn't want him to shoot me with his gun! right after she said that, we saw the guard smile. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! they aren't supposed to show any emotion at all... but we succeeded. i took a second picture- but the first one is just too funny.

{i look not so cute... i was bundled to to brim... it is freezing here.}

after the castle, we ate our wonderful sack lunches in mcdonald's, then set off to shop in the cute town of windsor. . . and guess what?? i bought something!! a cath kidston bag! yay. it took some persuasion from my friends to actually buy it, but i am very happy i did! i also bought some cute shoes from a store called joules. my favorite part about them is that they have ribbon for laces, and they came in a paper sack, instead of a box!