Castle Collection, part two.

Last week's Castle Collection improved my mood so much that I thought I'd make it a weekly appearance. I've got a lot of castles in my pocket, so it should keep us all entertained for a while. This blog becomes boring when I get all existential and dark. I'd rather think about castles. 

Last time, I gave you my first three castles, in order of appearance to me. The following gems are in no particular order because, well, I've seen a lot of castles by now. Don't get me wrong, they don't all blend together. I just lose track of time when my mind drifts to fairy-tale land.


Caerphilly Castle, May 2010. Photo by Brigid Kaelin.
To your right, we have: Caerphilly Castle, Town Centre of Caerphilly, Wales.  I came across this gem quite by accident while playing a show one May evening (2010) outside of Newport, Wales. My tour partner, Butch, and I decided there was no point wasting daylight with a soundcheck. Instead, we hunted down a mighty fortress and went exploring. I love all castles, but this one one straight out of Dungeons and Dragons. (I think. I was never allowed to play because the neighborhood boys had a no-girls-allowed rule.) It's surrounded by a moat, and at least one of its towers is leaning dramatically. The grounds have wooden catapults and lots of Welsh people, who add many extra consonants to their language to confuse you.


Interesting fact? Caerphilly is the 2nd largest castle in Britain (after Windsor Castle) and was the first truly concentric castle -- built in the 1200s. Also, we saw a wedding taking place inside the castle on this Saturday afternoon. Talk about romantic! 



Azaleas at Inveraray Castle, Scotland.
Next up in my castle collection is Inveraray Castle in Scotland, which I first collected in May 2010. I've since been back at least twice, and to the castle grounds a few more times. Oddly, it's not exactly a castle you'll pass on your way to anywhere. It's only 110 miles away from Edinburgh, but the journey involves some wild and winding roads and takes about three hours. I happened to have played gigs in Inveraray twice and got to know the picturesque surroundings enough to return several times -- not to mention Inveraray has just about the best whisky shop in the world -- Loch Fyne Whiskies. 


Inveraray Castle has those pointy turret things that show up in fairy tale illustrations, and the castle gardens are stunning in the spring. Also, people still live here! Can you imagine? The Duke of Argyll, his Duchess, and his children actually live here, despite the thousands of visitors who wander the public areas daily. 


That's enough for today ... but check back next week for more castle fun. I'm also starting to wonder where I'll be for Castle Day 2012!

1 comments

  1. Daniel MeyerFebruary 27, 2012 at 11:10 AM

    Beautiful! Castles inspire awe, and faith in the human species. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete