A Trip to Windsor

Windsor, Berkshire 

In January Sam and I took a little trip to Windsor. It was the first of what we thought was going to be part of our one trip per month resolution we made. But as Sam and I know all too well, life sometimes just has a different plan. But any who, our trip to Windsor was spontaneous and we had the best time. Windsor is a small town that is about an hour and a half drive away from where we live in East London. I had bought the trip for Sam and I as part of his Christmas present. We stayed in a hotel/spa called The Harte & Garter. It was the perfect spot for our two night stay because it was directly across the street from Windsor Castle (the biggest tourist spot of well duh Windsor). It was also conveniently located in the middle of the town, so we were able to walk to bars, restaurants, and shops. 

Windsor is really known for its historic architecture, streets, and castle. More recently it was famously shown around the world during the wedding of Harry & Meghan. On the first night in town Sam and I walked all over Windsor and through Eaton (neighbouring town) getting to know the area a bit better. In the town centre there is loads of shopping you can do, with a plethora of tourist souvenirs (like masks of the royals). Since it was a Thursday night when we arrived, we thought it would be a good time to do a pub dinner. We ended up grabbing food at The Windsor Castle (Samuel Smith bar). This pub looked like a great place to get some traditional pub food (aka I was really in the mood for fish and chips). It was also one of the more popular bars in the area (more than 5 people inside). It turns out Windsor in the winter and during half term is not their busy time of year. The food situation was a bit of a disaster because they did not have much left because we also didn’t realise that places were closing early. The mulled wine there saved the dinner. While we were venturing around after, we stumbled upon a beer tasting room called A Hoppy Place. They had loads of beer from all over and it is always nice when the owners are extremely friendly and happy to let you sample whatever beer you’re thinking of getting. On the way home we stopped at the Horse and Groom pub for one last drink. This pub is perfectly situated across the street from the Castle entrance and in diagonal view of our hotel. Again the staff was so friendly and it seemed like the locals were just as nice. Walking around at night was great because since it was early January all the Christmas lights were still up. 

On the second day of being in Windsor, Sam and I decided to go to Windsor Castle and go on the full tour of the grounds. Before that we had breakfast at Côte Brasserie, a gorgeous cafe/ restaurant right on the riverside. We made a reservation because we thought it might be packed on a Friday morning, but again we were surprised to be one of the only people there (plus it was about 8 am). We had seen from the day before that the line can get ridiculously long for the castle so we wanted to get there as soon as it opened to avoid being online all day. It turned out we accidentally timed it perfectly. By the time we finished breakfast we walked right up to the front of the line and got our tickets in minutes. **Disclaimer** if you do visit during the spring or summer I recommend buying tickets online to save you time. 

 

The castle is really worth every penny (or pence) to get in. It is stunning and the views from the top of the grounds that overlooks the whole town is breathtaking. We were able to see where past royals were buried, the church where Meghan and Harry got married, and the dining hall of the Queen. From the outside the castle really doesn’t look that big, but after walking more than 8 miles that day I was very mistaken. We opted for the audio tour (very attractive headphones come with it) to help us learn more about the castle because there is just way too much to read as you go through. I should also mention that this was free so it was really worth having. At the end of the tour we were able to get our tickets stamped so that if we came back to Windsor within a year (which we definitely will do) we won’t have to pay again. 

We finished the tour around midday and decided it was the perfect time to get afternoon tea. We were able to get a Groupon voucher for it at Cafè Rogue. Apparently everyone had the same idea because this place was packed out. This place was located in the shopping centre/ train station so it is an easy place to stop for a quick bite before leaving town. What really surprised me while we were  there was all the Americans walking around! It almost felt like I was back home being surrounded by my own accent. 

Since the day was young and we were on vacation after all, we decided our next stop would be to the local brewery Windsor & Eaton. This was by far the best local stop of our trip. The beer was delicious, the tap room was very laid back, and there were DOGS!! Fun fact I learned while I was there was that their beer was served at the royal wedding of Meghan & Harry and Kate & William. They even had a cute mural on the wall outside for Meghan & Harry. We could have easily spent the rest of the day there but since we had dinner reservations to a nicer restaurant that night we thought it was best we quit while we were still able to walk back to the hotel.That night we ate at a really nice seafood restaurant on the water called The Boatman. This place had great servers and incredible food. They even gave us a coupon for the next time we go back to Windsor. Since we were beyond stuffed after dinner we decided to walk it off and take a stroll by the water. This led us to the winter fair that was going on in the local park. They had ice skating, outdoor movies, and a food market. On the morning that we left Windsor we were lucky enough to catch the changing of the guards. It looked like a mini parade as people lined the entire street for about a half mile. It was the perfect end to our mini trip. 

I highly recommend a mini trip to Windsor if you are in/ visiting London. It is such an easy trip to take on the final day you are staying in London, since it is only a 20 minute cab journey to Heathrow airport. From central London it is about an hour by train to get to. It is a perfect day trip for couples or families since there is plenty to see and do. I was very much looking forward to going there again this month with my parents and in-laws but obviously that plan had to change. But even though we had to cancel we are definitely planning on going back to this magical place this year. We have found so many great places to stay on Airbnb that will save us a lot next time we go. 

                                              

New Year, New Fitness Addiction?

     Before the start of every New Year I make a list of things I want to improve in my life. This year (probably because the excess amount of free time I have) I’ve been able to really focus on those things and get off to a great start. I think where I’ve gone wrong in past years is that I have given myself too broad of an idea rather than little realistic things I can do everyday in order to get a significant result. My small changes that I wanted to keep up from last year are to write and read more. One of my big changes for this year is trying to become a pescatarian (with the exception of slip ups every now and then). Last night I struggled to stay away from the buffalo chicken spin dip at the super bowl party I was at. But it’s a working progress. My other improvement is the ever popular fitness goal. I am making a point to move/workout for at least 30 minutes a day. Having an apple watch helps massively in that I can see my daily movement, standing, and calories burnt in the day. I have already felt a massive change in that I don’t feel pressured to workout everyday but just move around, because really 30 minutes in a day isn’t that much. I have even started making up workouts by running up and down the stairs with intervals of push-ups and sit-ups in between sets. And of course when the weather is permitting I go for runs outside for however long I feel good for.

     After bumping into an old friend from high school last weekend we got to talking about how we used to run together on our track team and how he’s now working at the Peloton showroom in Chelsea in the city. If you don’t know what Peloton is, it’s a semi new fitness bike and now treadmill that’s very high tech. It has a large screen where you can log into workouts from home and take part in a class that’s going on live in the Peloton studios. Of course these machines cost you a pretty penny because of all these features, but you can also download the Peloton app that gives you the workouts to complete on any stationary bike or treadmill that you have at home or in your local gym.

https://studio.onepeloton.com/tread

     So when Kevin asked me if I wanted to come and take some classes I was jumping at the opportunity. I went to my first treadmill boot camp class on Thursday and now I am hooked! The studio itself is absolutely gorgeous! Let’s just say it wasn’t like walking into a Planet Fitness or any old gym. It felt like I was walking into a high end gallery. The locker room has everything a girl could need for her fitness essentials including deodorant, dry shampoo, hairspray, you name it really and they had it. So after I was done admiring the locker room it was time to get acquainted with the machine I would be doing my work out on.

     At first glance it doesn’t look much more than your average treadmill with the exception of the large screen on it, but after Kevin showed me all of its features it seemed like a runners dream. The belt in which you run on has grooves to prevent slipping and felt like to keep you in place. I know when I run on a regular treadmill I can sometimes feel myself swaying from left to right on the belt. It has a “free” button which allows you to run sprints at your own pace without the help of the speed up button, so basically it goes as fast as you can. The other main difference between a Peloton treadmill and a regular one is the two buttons on the sides. On the left there is the incline and on the right side is the speed, but instead of a + or – button it is a wheel that is just so much easier to use when in a work out. The screen shows you speed, distance, incline, and rank in the class. At home it would show all of these things and also the instructor doing the workout of your choice.

What I did not know about this workout I had signed up for at the Peloton showroom was that it would be recorded! The workout that I would be doing would be broadcasted live in front of every Peloton machine in the country! Thinking about this all my fears flashed through my head, the number one being falling off this machine and having it on tape FOREVER! And trust me if you know me well you know how clumsy of a person I am and this was a reasonable fear. Luckily for this session I was just out of sight of the camera if all went terribly wrong, but they also had a few staff in the room in case things did go wrong for me or anyone else.

     The class probably had about 10-15 people in it and I was all sorts of pumped up once I knew this would be recorded. Plus knowing that I would be competing with everyone in the class put my competitiveness into overdrive. I need a class that challenges me but also has the sense of competition because that will automatically make me push even harder. As the workout went on I was feeling really great honestly, it was quick to get into the groove and the instructor Jess had the sweetest demeanor that she really made me feel like I could run a marathon. She kept me pumped the whole time and her little shout outs during the class had me pushing harder for some recognition of my own. Every time I felt like I was getting winded I would just look up at the leaderboard and see how close I was to the person above me and increase my speed to catch up with them. I ended up finishing the class in fourth just behind Kevin and the two other trainers in the room who did the class so I was feeling pretty good about it.

     The class finished with 15 minutes of all lower body weights, which was probably the hardest part of the workout for me. The instructor Jess was an absolute machine busting out 15 reps of everything seamlessly while also talking into the mic (it really is a talent in itself). When the class completely finished I felt a rush of energy and felt really great. Seeing this I was asked a staff member if I wanted to complete a yoga class that was starting about 40 minutes later. I was skeptical because I had literally done one yoga class in my life and it went horribly wrong, but for some reason I also jumped at the opportunity to try another class and said yes.

     For all that don’t know my athletic/coordination/flexibility they have no correlation because although I can run for miles and have decent stamina, I cannot touch my toes or stand on one leg without toppling over. So yoga really isn’t something that should be in my vocabulary. As I was waiting to walk into the studio I had asked one of the staff members to put me somewhere in the back so that I wouldn’t be seen on camera (because this is also a class that gets broadcasted to all Peloton app users, there isn’t a machine for yoga). The girl responded that it is a small classroom with only 1 row so it would be hard to not be seen at some point or another. HA! Way to put the viewers at home at ease if they weren’t advanced yoga participants. To add insult to injury my instructor Jess and another trainer also did the class with me… oh and were right next to me to make me look extra gangly and uncoordinated. When the class finally starts the yoga instructor began by telling the people at home that this was not a beginner’s class so if they had only just started their method they should return to this video after more practice. WHAT AM I DOING IN THIS ROOM!?!? But it was too late, the camera was rolling and there was no escaping the next 45 minutes of my torture. BUT plot twist! I actually ended up getting the hang of all the moves relatively quickly, because really what choice did I have? There were a few times where I was thinking “I can’t believe I’m actually doing this but I think I’m doing it pretty damn well!” Well at least that was my thought because I don’t know about you but sometimes our mind tells us we're doing something really well but in reality you’re just not. Like when people are drunk and think they can dance but then watch it the next day on their friend’s Snapchat and they forward it in embarrassment (not that it has ever happened to me of course lol).

     So I finished the class strong and honestly felt like a million bucks. I wasn’t achy as I would usually be after running on a treadmill, and wasn’t as tight thanks to the yoga class. And the days after I definitely wasn’t as sore as I thought I would be. To be honest I would love to buy one of those treadmills for my house if I had the money for it because I 100% think they are worth it, but for the meantime I now have reconnected with Kevin who is happy to have me take classes whenever I want! That obviously meant I booked another class which is actually tonight! I cannot wait to get back and try another treadmill class. What is really great is that they are finally expanding to England and they have just opened up a show room in London! This could just be my new fitness addiction.

I really can't thank my friend Kevin and everyone at Peloton enough for such a great experience and not only that how incredibly friendly, helpful, and supportive everyone was!