Winter Magic Among the Castles

  

Neuschwanstein, c. 1869, Germany, photo by wallpapersweb.com

Like so many, I am fascinated by castles. It is hard to believe that castles actually exist on planet Earth, not just in fairy tales or Shakespeare's classics.  Little boys dream of wearing a coat of armor, riding a black stallion, with a sword at their side, crossing over the draw bridge to a castle.  Little girls dream of wearing a long cape made of dark blue velvet, waiving from a castle tower to the crowd below, as they shout to her that she's the most beautiful girl in the world.  And then there's my dream...of living in a fabulous ancient castle in England (where else?) with a staff of 150 taking care of my every whim, all the whilst Daniel Craig and Johnny Depp arrange a dual just beyond the moat, both determined to have my hand in marriage, and having to listen to George Clooney and Leonardo DiCaprio whine because there's no four man dual.

Ok, back to reality.  I'm a 49 year old wife and mom from Sharpsburg, Georgia.  Needless to say, there's a big difference between my world and that of the Tudors. Furthermore, had I lived in the middle ages, I probably would have been one of those 150 servants, slaving away for King Henry VIII, and being forced to cook those gargantuan turkey legs he was so fond of.  But anyhooo, back to castles.  I thought it would fun for you girls out there, and the only men who follow my blog (my Uncle Gary and my husband Tony), to be treated to photographs of some of the most beautiful castles in the world, during the winter season.  The only thing better than a castle is a castle in the snow.  Grab a hot toddy and dream along with me for a moment.

Scharfenstein Castle, Germany, photo by pixdaus.com

Kronborg Castle, circa 1420, Denmark, photo by Dian Emery

Gillette Castle, Connecticut, photo by ctrivervalley.com

 

Durham Castle, circa 11th century, England, photo by Sharon Stuart

 

Castle Burg Hohenzollern, Germany, photo by Mystic86

Dunnotar Castle, Stonehaven, Scotland, UK, photo by Geoffrey Noell

Cennen Castle, Wales, UK, photo by Hugh Gillings

The Round Tower, Windsor Castle, England, photo from inel.wordpress.com

This blog begins and ends with  Neuschwanstein...the most incredible of all castles - the hilltop location and the architecture...truly breathtaking.  An example of the attention to detail and the work that went into building this incredible place is that the bedroom woodwork took 4 years.  King Ludwig was truly obsessed
Photo by popularwealth.com

and just a few more of Neuschwanstein....talk about obsessed!

Photo by winnator.com

Photo courtesy of http://apertopeferie.splinder.com

Photo Credit Unknown