The scent of Magnolia

In the true spirit of a journal...

Dec. 26, 2015 - Charleston SC

7 a.m.  - Awake feeling refreshed and ready to explore.  Great bed for a hotel, and that's what matters when you're traveling, not whether the wallpaper is peeling in the bathroom.  The fog has once again taken over (what's with me always managing to find places with poor visibility when I travel?) but it's supposed to clear.  Hope to get out to one of the plantations.

9:30 - finished breakfast, still so foggy that the "riverview" restaurant on the 15th floor shows only pure white outside.  Plantation tours run all day, so will take some time now to clean lenses, backup SD cards to the laptop, and recharge batteries.

10:30 - fog starting to lift, so I make a reservation for one of the plantation tours.  20 minutes later the swamp on the other side of the road is visible from the hotel room window, and I can see several ibis grazing in the marsh grass.  Another 10 minutes later and the sun is shining, the fog should clear completely soon!  I get down to the lobby to meet the driver, and step outside into - omg I should have worn shorts and a tshirt!  It's very humid so good thing it's only about 75 F.  But wow does it ever feel great to be in the warm sunshine.

12:00 - At the Visitor Center, downtown Charleston, getting on a shuttle to the Magnolia Garden Plantation.  My pass includes a tour of the house and a train ride through the Audubon Swamp, where hopefully we will see a couple of alligators and other wildlife.  It's about a half hour's drive, and the driver promises I will get lots of pictures.  On the way, I see the odd small tree loaded with large red or dark pink blooms, but the driver does not know what they are.  The other shuttle passengers think it might be camellia, which I've never seen before to my knowledge.  Gorgeous.

12:30 - Arrive at the Magnolia Plantation, 500 acres of the original 2000, where the Drayton family (who still owns it, the only original owner left in the area) to explore.  I start in the garden as my ticket for the train tour is for the 1:30 train, and the house is at 2:30.  Yes, they are camellia and there are several varieties here at the plantation garden.  And other flowers blooming too, azaleas and magnolias (I think, they smell wonderful!), pansies, snapdragons, sweet william, those are just the ones I recognized.  If I let myself daydream for a few minutes, I could easily be a southern belle walking through the garden with my beau, with a parasol on my shoulder to keep the warm southern sun off my delicate face.  Bahahaha!  Ya right.  Ok, back to reality.  Camera comes out, and catches this little beauty, among others.

There are probably an hour's worth of pathways through the garden, plus a conservatory, but have to get back to catch the "train".

1:30 - The "train" is a tractor pulling a couple of trolley cars typical of tourist attractions.  Find a seat and we pull away.  The driver is chatty and informative, and it isn't long before we start seeing some critters, including large turtles (too far away to get a good shot), ibis, great blue heron, ducks (cinnamon teals), and alligators.  Lots of them.  By the end of the train ride, the driver admits he has never seen so many alligators in one tour.  A couple of dozen at least, all sizes, all sunning themselves on little platforms provided, or swimming about lazily.

   

This one was pretty chill.  A couple of turtles joined him on the platform, although smaller turtles are sometimes gator gourmet.  All in all, a lovely ride, although we didn't stop very often, nor long enough when we did, to get many decent pictures.  

2:30 - House tour.  Interesting, but this isn't a true plantation home as I was expecting.  The current home was the third on the property, and the first one was 13000 sq ft.  Now that's a mansion!  The second was only 11000 sf.  The current one was probably less than half of that.  Very historic, and beautiful, but the wraparound porch probably makes it look twice what it really is.  Still, you could have a party on that porch...

4:00 - back at the hotel, trying to find a decent restaurant that has "southern" or at least local food and that I can still get a reservation for at the last minute.  Stars Rooftop and Grill Room looks awesome, and has availability.  And it's only a 5 minute drive.... score!!!  Reservations at 6:45 so better go clean up...

7:00 - 9:00 - Dinner.  Unbelievable.  Must go back, Stars is amazing, fantastic food, impeccable service, perfect atmosphere (for me), great wine...  As usual, I try to eat local and drink the house specialty.  So, started with a cocktail called an Aviation (how fitting) and it was ah-mazing.  Gin, lemon, maraschino cherry liqueur.  However, this place also added a bit of lavender cordial.  It was actually really good.  Appetizer:  Baked Oysters, with sauteed spinach, Asiago cheese, fresh garlic and brandy.  Phenomenal.  For the main course I chose another appetizer and a sharing plate which was actually exactly the right amount.  The appetizer was "Bacon Tater Tots", so, fluffed potatoes and bacon bits coated and deep fried (like croquettes) and served with a bacon aioli.  The sharing plate I selected was more like a small entree, so perfect.  Rare grilled bluefin tuna, crusted with pecans, served with a spicy mustard, a honey-almond sauce and a mixture of vegetables like heirloom carrots, purple cabbage and mild radishes in a wonderful creamy sauce - they called it Vegetable Slaw but it was the best Slaw I've ever had.  Then dessert, which was Smoked Chocolate 'Smore Pie.  Words do not do it justice.

Fog and rain - better than snow!

Started the day with an odometer reading of 313969.  Umm, "my" numbers are 1, 3, 6, and 9.  Wonder what this day will bring!

When I first wake up and check the weather, Harrisonburg is getting a "Dense fog advisory", but I look out the window, and the sun is out, so it can't be that bad.  5 minutes later, I understand, because I can no longer see the end of the parking lot.  Better be on my way and take it easy.

In the hopes that the fog will clear, I opt to take Highway 11 down through the Shenandoah Valley, rather than the busy interstate that runs parallel.  It might be possible to stop and take some pictures?  However, the fog only lifts a little ways, and doesn't provide any interesting fog, just haze and of course when it clears a little, the shoulders of the road are too narrow to pull over.  I really must come back down here again some time though, because there are signs everywhere for interesting things to see and do, like caverns and historical landmarks and antique shops....

It strikes me that I am driving through the Bible belt on Christmas Day when I pass by a beautiful country home with a life-size nativity scene on the front lawn.  I snicker when I see the next house adorned by a much larger-than-life-size inflatable dachshund in a Santa suit on the front lawn.  Seriously.  Or maybe not so seriously...  The roadside signs identifying points and locations of historic interest are also intriguing, although many of the references are to events with which I am unfamiliar.  One or two jump out, such as the site of Sheridan's last raid, and the Original African-American Cemetery (no stones are visible from the road however).

Finally, as I approach the point where Hwy 11 will merge with the interstate, I start seeing signs towards a village called Natural Bridge.  I have to wonder if there is indeed a bridge formed by nature in some way, thus the name.  Cool, the hwy actually passes right through there, and the fog has mostly cleared!  And there is a large building with a huge parking lot, boldly announcing the Natural Bridge Park.  So of course, pull in and get out to read the plaque and see what I can see from the parking lot (nothing).  As I'm reading, I hear a vehicle pull up beside me, and a gentle voice with a dontcha-just-love-southern-drawls-kinda-drawl saying "Hi there!".  A kindly gentleman explains that there will be admission to the site in about 20-30 minutes, and he highly recommends that I stay.  He suggests I go over to the historic hotel and get a complimentary coffee while I wait, convinced it will be worth my time to hang around.  What the heck, it's a chance to stretch my legs and maybe get some cool pictures.  Here are a few, please note these are not the best ones photographically, but I haven't had time to do any touch-ups yet.  It really was worth my time.

And.... that was the end of the clear skies for the day, until sunset.  As I headed down the rest of the Valley, the fog rolled in yet again, and there was a sign indicating "fog ahead, adjust speed according to the weather", and yes, drove across the top of the mountains with fog and cloud below and above and all around.  Shortly after coming through the fog, the rains started coming down heavy enough that I was glad I was on the mountain and not in the valley.  Everyone was slowing down and putting on their hazard lights, it was really hard to see.  Like a snowstorm.  Sort of.  And it didn't let up until I was almost in South Carolina.

Then the sun went down, the rain stopped, the roads were dry, the full moon came up, and it was about 22C.  So the sunroof opened up, the tunes went on, and the rest of the drive to Charleston was largely uneventful.  Except for almost running out of gas.  But I didn't, I probably could have driven another 8 - 10 miles before going completely dry.  (Phew)  The forecast here for the next two days is partly cloudy and high of 73 F, which to me sounds like it's time to stop for a day or two and take in the sights in this area.  I'll see what's on the nightside table...

Highlights of the day:
1. Driving through Staunton, VA, and see a whole bed of yellow pansies in full bloom, on Christmas Day.
2.  Interesting road names, like "Rockin Way" and "Possum Hollow".  For real.
3.  Several log cabins that appeared to be still habitable, and inhabited.

Christmas road trip 2015 - Day 1

What a boring title.  Too tired to think of anything else, but it's a good tired.  Guess I should start from the birth of the idea for this trip.

In the past few years, I've learned that it's really a good thing to take a trip in the winter, somewhere warm preferably.  The one year that I didn't do it, was just not a good scene.  I was completely dragged out until the spring weather allowed more outside time.  Of course, that's somewhat weather dependent.  If it's snowy out, there are lots of opportunities, but rainy soggy winters can be a complete drain on someone with SAD.  So, nuff said, every year the Peter Pan Getaway Boots come out.  So far, I've been to New Zealand, Mexico, Miami Beach, Bahrain, and London, UK.  Not bad, although two of those were only long weekends (Miami Beach and London).

This year, I couldn't decide where to go.  I have 10 days or so, including Christmas eve, which gets me back with a day to spare to do laundry.  Thought about Costa Rica, Peru, Galapagos, Panama, Caribbean cruise, Belize, everything sounded somewhat, well, not quite right.  I was ready for an adventure, one that enabled me to see many things, stop if I wanted or go far, with nothing really planned (a real adventure).  Started looking at National Geographic Adventure Tours, and started noticing the number of cool places closer to home, and within driving distance.  Aha!  Road Trip!!!  Booked the first couple of nights to make sure I had a room for the busy holiday nights, and after that, well, wherever the sun shines is where I'll go, with tons of ideas and possibilities.

So here I am, after less than 10 hours of driving time, in a modest but comfortable and clean hotel room at the Country Inn in Harrisonburg VA, on my way to somewhere south, with my camera equipment, camping gear (in case I get to the Everglades, which will definitely be one for the books!), a couple of credit cards, and the baby lion is tucked neatly away in the kitty cat hotel (Catnap Cottages) back home.  Love it.

Yes, I already had Christmas dinner with mom and dad, Val and Chad and the kids, and my sisters and brother-in-law.  So I don't really feel like I'm missing the holiday.

So, to capture the essence of the day, it started like the first day of vacation usually does.  I wake up feeling like I have tons of time to get everything cleaned up at home, get everything packed up, and be on my way in time to get to my first destination in time for dinner.  Ha!  Also as usual, I grossly underestimate the time required to pack to my level of satisfaction.  I started three days ago to get ready, you'd think I'd have it down!  But no, even with all of the planning (what planning?) and my experience with travel, I almost forgot my passport, had to take the cat to boarding and then come back and finish packing, and didn't leave home till about 11:30 a.m. (instead of 9:30).

But once I got going, it didn't take long to relax into the drive, the weather was stunning - sunny and warm enough to have the sunroof open even before I hit the border - and I was focused only on getting to Harrisonburg, where I had a room already booked.  With the new Garmin GPS on my dash guiding my way after crossing the border, it feels like I haven't a care in the world.  Even maintaining a constant awareness of what's going on around me, it's a relaxing drive, almost easy, even coming through the mountains of Pennsylvania, normally treacherous with snow this time of year, completely dry this year.

Highlights to remember:
1.  A billboard reading "Not all rehabs are the same" (there's a competitive market for rehab centers?  What does that say about the state of the States?  Social commentary expected...)
2.  The full moon - first one at Christmas for a couple of decades, last one for another 19 years - rising through clear skies over the Allegheny mountains on one side of the car while the sun set graciously through turquoise and pink skies on the other side.  Driving most of the rest of the way with the moon providing almost as much light as streetlights would have - thankfully, since the GPS took me through some pretty quiet countryside.
3.  Some beautiful, well-kept little towns, and some very industrial, sad little mining towns.
4.  A new appreciation for those willing and able to work in order to provide numbskulls like me who want to travel on this holiday, with food, accommodation, service, gas, and a friendly smile.  It's not just the essential services, but those that we take for granted to always be available.  It seems that society has lost it's ability to "do without".

Looking forward to a leisurely drive through Shenandoah Valley tomorrow, and down through to Charleston, SC, where I have a room booked on the river.  Hopefully, I'll have a chance to take some good pictures.  Or at least, some pictures.  

Playing tourist... and partying

The last couple of days in Bahrain seem like a blur, and all the rest that I had caught up on at the beginning of the week was spent on walking and dancing.

Friday, the first day of the weekend, we sleep in a bit, but there's so much to see, and some of it Alex wanted to see as well.  The first stop was the King Fahad Causeway, which is a series of very long bridges connecting Bahrain and a couple of small islands (one is manmade) to the mainland, Saudi Arabia.  The manmade island, about halfway between the two countries, hosts the border crossing itself, so I am able to "see" Saudi, even if I can't actually enter the country.

It's fun to see that the MacDonald's here is open 24 hrs, just like the ones at the Canada/US border.

Not much chance of getting lost, especially since we're on an island...

Next stop is the Bahrain National Museum.  One of the coolest museums I've been to.  Although it's fairly small, the large hall has an aerial photograph of the entire country as it's floor, so you can walk around the whole country, and discover what it looks like from the air.  Alex is very knowledgeable about the history of the area, which of course goes back thousands of years, and the artifacts are really interesting.  The artwork and sculptures outside the building also hold my attention, and I learn so much.  Now I really want to know more about this whole region of the world!

Footnote - Just noticed October 2015 that I never published this!  Nor did I even finish it!  Will use this as subject matter for tomorrow's blog...

Life is a journey. Step 1. Done. Next.

This morning, as I perused Facebook whilst sipping java, a shared post from a friend struck a chord.  It was a quote from Ian Lawton, someone with whom I am mostly unfamiliar, but whose writings I really need to look into.  "Be kind today... to yourself, remember to be a good friend to yourself, accept that you're doing your best...be mindful of what you need and give it to yourself". Excellent advice.

So, on a somewhat damp, late October Saturday morning, after Skyping with someone very special to me, albeit way too briefly, I found myself thinking of my previous plans that had consisted primarily of the things I needed to do today, as is usually the case with me.  Filling my day with seemingly required tasks helps me to feel needed, even though if I look at those tasks, the only real requirement to complete said tasks is a little voice in the back of my head, that has been there since I was a small girl.  It sounds a lot like my mom, and it includes things like "you need groceries, and do the laundry, clean the floors and bathroom, make a big meal for dinner, practise singing, study and read for work"... etc. etc.

However, what I really wanted to do was just hang out all day, as I've been working my butt off lately, and not really taking the time to enjoy any of it, just doing things because the rest of the world expects a "normal" person to do those things.  It seems that I have temporarily misplaced my sense of purpose.

So, what to do but to consider this sage advice noted on facebook (after all, if it's on the internet, it must be true), and be kind to myself today?  What does that mean?  What would make me happy?

Well, I'm a pretty easy-going person, all things considered, although there are many who might at times disagree, especially when someone says something with an apparent lack of any thought.  Or when I'm extremely frustrated because my brain is racing way too fast with ideas or following a line of logic and others haven't quite reached the same point at the same time.  So really, when I say easy-going, what I mean is that I have many interests, and am usually in pursuit of several hobbies or ideals that interest me at any given time.

But the tag in the quote - trustyourjourney.com - intrigues me.  Lately the thought has been nagging me to pull out the Peter Pan Getaway Boots.  That could be due to the time of year, when the amount of available natural light is waning quickly, or to the weather as it cools down, or the stresses of work - year-end planning and hurrying to meet current year goals - or upcoming events.  But what if the journey I need to take, the one that require Peter Pan Boots, is one that I'm already on, each and every day?  What if all I need to do is follow the advice, instead of a trail?

Ok, wait a minute, my brain says to my body.  You have just way too many things to do right now.  You have to save for retirement, and see as much of the world as possible, and get better at photography, and brush up on your French and Spanish, and cherish your grandchildren, and continue renewing friendships that have not been well-enough nurtured, and keep a clean house, and get that promotion, and learn a bunch of new music, and get to the gym more often, and finish knitting those seven projects that you've started, and play with the cat a bit more, and put up the blinds in the living room.....  STOP BRAIN!!!

Sigh.  No wonder I'm so tired all the time.  And never seem to actually get anything accomplished (although in reality, I do accomplish a great deal, just not everything I plan to, but that's largely because as soon as I discover something, or a new idea pops into my head, or someone says something that triggers a desire to learn something, then I add another hundred things to the list).

Back to the whole "be kind to yourself" idea.  What does that mean?  Does it mean I allow my silly brain to take over and just try to stop worrying about never finishing anything, as long as I'm enjoying the moment, and if a squirrel happens by, follow that, and not think about money or what I will live on when I retire or lose my job because I've stopped following through on promises....?  Or does it mean I should try to shut my brain off more frequently, and take it easy?

That's probably step 1.  "...be mindful of what you need...".  Figure out what I need.  Figure out where I'm going.  Remember that the journey is not completely within my control, and that for whatever reason, things will happen and sometimes I should just accept those events.

Wait,  what was that first part?  "...accept that you're doing your best...".  Huh.  How about that.  I totally forgot that all I really need to do is just be myself, and not worry so much about what anyone else thinks of me as long as I'm okay with me.  Not worry about what anyone else does, because all that matters is how I let them influence me.  Not worry about anything, just do what makes me happy.  Ok this is really weird, because I know all this shit.  So why do I still question myself?

Because I'm still on step 1.  Every journey starts with a single step.  Yup, got that one down.  What might be confusing me is that I keep thinking that I already took that step and yet I never seem to get anywhere.  But all along, I've been missing something, and as I write this, I think I know what it is.  For me anyway.  And it's this.

As soon as I've taken that one step, the journey changes.  With each step, there is a new journey.  The potential for a new journey.  Every step IS a journey.  An adventure.  Every step brings into view a new perspective, even if it's only slightly different.  I continue to grow, and change, and discover, and each step and each day is Step 1.  And at the same time (this is the real part that I've been missing), each step completes the journey I was on before.  Every day, every step, every moment.  It's really not about the destination, it really is about the journey.  Every step of the way.  I can trust that it's the right journey for me.

And this is one helluva ride!

Stonehenge - ancient mystery

Ever since I first heard of it, I thought it would be cool to see Stonehenge, although I didn't really ever put it on the bucket list.  It was one of those, if I happen to be in the neighbourhood, I'll probably drop by, but not sure what all the fuss is about.  Just a bunch of big rocks in the middle of a field, yes?  So when my friend, London, said, "Do you want go and see Stonehenge?" I thought sure, I'm kind of in the neighbourhood.  Didn't realize that a 2-hour drive (half of that trying to get through a few miles on the M25) was "in the neighbourhood" in England.  Problem here is that none of the roads go in a direction that makes sense, they all go in circles.

Anyway, we finally get there, the sky is mostly cloudy (what?  in England they get cloudy skies?  Note the extreme sarcasm), and somewhat dreary, but it's not raining nor windy nor cool.  So hopefully I will get some good pics.  I had spent a fair bit of time on the plane coming across the big puddle reading through the manual for my "new" Nikon D7100 that I've had since Xmas and not really taken the time to figure out how to use.  Now is a great chance to try my hand at some manual settings, especially some of the cool, built-in special effects.  If things don't go well, I can always go back to Auto.

First, I want to make note that English Heritage has done an amazing job of protecting this amazing site while still providing an opportunity for the masses to view it and wonder.  Free wi-fi allows for the download of a free audio guide to a smartphone or tablet, An Exhibition area displays video of the history of the site, the skeletal remains of a man found during one archaelogical excavation, and reconstructed Neolithic huts similar to what might have been used by people working on the building of Stonehenge.  They have completed a major landscaping project that has restored the terrain surrounding the stones to grass, Although no one is allowed to go near the stones, and therefore my one wish, to be able to stand in the very center to see if there is truly a magic there, is not to be granted, it is still an enchanting place.

There is a bus that takes visitors every 5 minutes throughout the day along the 3-mile route from the visitors' center to the area of the stones, although there is also a walking path for those that choose.  We opt for the bus simply because we have arrived later in the day than expected, and we wish to have more time viewing the stones and taking photographs, listening to the audio guide and learning what is known about this mysterious structure.

The bus arrives at the site, which is atop a hill.  Every direction you look, it appears that you are looking down or across.  Which makes sense if the stones were indeed used for the purposes of measuring time by the sun, although the purpose of it remains a mystery to all.  Perhaps it was intended to be a compass for alien air traffic control, or a spaceship landing site?  Maybe it was a giant gathering place, like the Colisseum in Rome, for the myriad of Druids that lived in the area.  Maybe it was simply intended as a permanent shelter, a neolithic condo, that was never finished because the original intention and design was lost when whoever designed passed away. Whatever the purpose, it was important enough to the people that died in the construction of it, to risk their lives.  All comments, thoughts and ideas are welcome here.

At any rate, walking around the stones, marvelling at how they came to be here, why, and by whom were they transported here and assembled, was quite the experience.  The gray matter is still working on it, and probably will be for quite some time to come.

After returning to the visitor center, the gift center called to me, and we wandered about, looking for treasures that were not just cheap souvenirs.  I find a lovely silver charm of the stones, and then we notice a display of local wines and liqueurs, samples of which were being offered.  Never one to turn down the chance to try something new, beverage or otherwise, we learn that one of the offerings is something neither of us have heard of - damson gin.  Now, gin I know of, it goes great with tonic.  But what is the meaning of damson?  As we learn, the gin is soaked in damson plums (now it rings a bell), and the gin takes on the unique flavour of the fruit.  We try it, and instantly two bottles find their way into our possession.  It is divine!  And of course, all the more desirable since it is unlikely to be found anywhere else.  Easily, anyway.

A final selection, yes I know, a bit cheesy, but it's hard to turn down a t-shirt that reads "Stonehenge Rocks!"  Another wonderful day!

Back in England

Wow, so here I am in England.   For the weekend.  Yes, I know, it's crazy to fly over the puddle for three days, but I have a friend there that I've been dying to see, and I don't get a ton of holidays, so a weekend it will have to be.  Besides, you could say that he's more than just a friend, nudge nudge wink wink, and worth spending two days getting there and back.  Let's just call him London.

Arrive Thursday evening, fairly late, and Air Canada still hasn't figured out that feeding some breakfast at the beginning of a long day flight, and then a tiny sandwich at the end of the flight and dropping off the passengers at 9:30 p.m. doesn't work.  So, London makes me a fantastic salad and a plate of antipasti, with buffalo mozzarella, salami, pancetta, and ricotta stuffed peppers.  No wonder I find him irresistable!

Friday morning dawns, the sun is shining, it's not supposed to rain much, and we decide to go to Windsor.  I don't even know what's there, but London says there's a castle, and I've never seen a real castle, so it sounds good to me.  Windsor the town is a beautiful, Olde English towne (have to spell it that way, sorry), with narrow streets, old brick homes with tile roofs and large chimneys, and the quaintness I expected.  It's so like the movies that I almost feel at home, and that it's nothing special.  Yet in some ways, it feels like I'm in a James Bond movie.  Except for the fact that I'm a passenger in a Mitsubishi, and I'm pretty sure James Bond never drove a Mitsubishi.

The terrain is much more rolling than I expected, and the castle sits atop a hill.  The climb goes past a small Italian restaurant so we stop for a lovely lunch of calzone (him) and spaghetti (me), then up we go to see Windsor Castle.  I am awestruck.  The closest I have ever come to such magnificence was, well, never.  Never have I seen such a beautiful place.  Suddenly, I understand the magnitude of wealth that the Royal Family and the history of England lays claim to.

I can't imagine what it would have been like to live in such a place, and then we go inside and it's even more incredible.  The courtyard is the size of a football field.  From the entrance, we can see how high up we truly are, and I marvel at what the landscape might have been like 200 years ago.

Upon entering, London mentions that the last time he was here, he was not impressed with Queen Mary's Doll house, but since it only takes a couple of minutes to see it, we go there first.  I find it fascinating, but that's because the dollhouse that I had when I was small was approximately two feet by three feet, made of metal, and had pre-cast plastic furniture, and all the decorative features of the house were painted on the walls.  Queen Mary's dollhouse, on the other hand, was a miniaturized castle.  Complete with electric lighting, chandaliers, art on the walls, dishes on the table, absolutely incredible.  My favourite was the staircase to the main hall, where two suits of armour stood guard.

From there, we enter the main display of rooms, from the king's bedroom where the closet is bigger than my living room, to St. George's Hall, where the Coats of Arms from over 1000 knights are displayed.  We notice that Prince William was the 1000th name on the list, but couldn't find his Coat of Arms.

The artwork, decor, furniture, displays of china, swords and other armaments, spaciousness, opulence, ostentatiousness, splendour and timeless beauty are truly overwhelming.  Still I can't get through my head that people have lived here.  Unfortunately, we're not allowed to take pictures inside, which I understand.  Still, it would have been nice to have something more concrete than memories to take home with me.  So, in one of the gift shops, I purchase a couple of keepsake items.

The first item I find is keychain crowns - for my quartet, Nuance, that is working towards becoming "Queens of Harmony".  The next is something I've been looking for a long time, a silver charm for a charm bracelet that I've had for ages, but no charms to add.  The charm is a replica of the round tower.  Last but not least, my favourite fragrance in a hand cream, and hand wash - White Hyacinth.  A beautiful flower with a beautiful scent.

On our way back to the car, I spot another view of the castle, and in the setting dusk, it helps me imagine what it might have looked like centuries ago, complete with the moat.