June 12, 2006

Reading, England- On the fourth day of the team's trip to England, Villanova rowed their boats down the Thames to store them in Henley-on-Thames before taking the First Great Western Rail Link into Windsor to tour the royal residence Windsor Castle.

The girls hit the road at 8:00 a.m. to take the van out to Reading and row their hired boats down the river to store them in Henley-on-Thames. In the process the team rowed through four locks in place throughout the eight mile distance.

"It was very scenic," said Taylor Malloy. "At each lock there was an attendant who made sure nothing happened to us. It wasn't wobbly at all going through [the locks]. It just sunk like bathwater down a drain. There were gardens all along the route. It was really pretty."

After changing, the team hopped on the train at Twyford and heading out to Windsor Castle to tour the residence and take some photos. On the tour, Villanova wandered through St. George's Chapel, the church that houses the Order of the Garter. That order is the oldest in Britain, founded in the 1300s. A walk through the state apartments revealed Queen Mary's dollhouse, designed by the leading architects, authors and artists of her time. The team also saw many drawing rooms and bedrooms inhabited by many of the nation's former rulers. The castle features an exhibit of photos of Queen Elizabeth II, the current monarch. One of which stopped several of rowers in their tracks, as it was the mirror image of incumbent sophomore Katie Moss.

Down Windsor High Street and across the Thames sits Eton College. One of England's oldest and most prestigious private schools. It is the alma mater of Princes William and Harry.