In June we did not leave England but there were enough things to see and do here. Whatever you have ever heard about the English weather, it did not apply last month. Most days, and importantly almost all weekends, were warm, blue sky, nothing to complain about.

(Click on the picture to see it full size, use a back button to return to this spot.) We took full advantage of it and headed out of town every week. We finally visited the royal residence in Windsor - a pleasant little town. Plenty to see in the castle itself and since it is possible to get a special bracelet which allows you to go in and out, we took a little break for tea and scones in the afternoon and went back to listen to an afternoon performance of the regimental band. Alice was so impressed that she kept the re-entry bracelet on her arm for the entire week.

We had to get up early for the next trip to Portsmouth. The main attraction here is the naval museum which holds the recently recovered Henry VIII ship Mary Rose, 19th century steam-sail hybrid HMS Warrior and the star of the show, Nelson's flagship HMS Victory on which he died during the battle of Trafalgar.

We continued the theme next weekend with a visit to a much closer Greenwich where we visited Cutty Sark and also the old British Naval Academy.

Then there was the "Trouping of Colours" - a traditional celebration of the reigning Monarch's birthday, which always takes place in June, irrespective of when the actual birthday is. Heard lot of military music and saw precision drill by different regiments, even though from the vantage point I was able to secure, most of the time was spent watching the back sides of Queen's Hussars and those of their horses.

During the weekends when the rest of the family could not generate enough enthusiasm to do something, I continued walking further upstream along the Thames, which by now is almost completely rural. Plenty of wild flowers and lots of blackberry bushes in bloom, in a month or so I should be able to "live off the land".