If I had the money, I could SO get into exploring the castles of Europe. Our trips to England and Germany have just added to the fascination. There are some major differences in the castles that we have gone through so a little tour is in order. Some of this is our experiences and some is research for future experiences.

Our first experience with castles was on our first visit to England. One cold and dreary day, we donned the rain jackets and headed into London to the Tower of London. After the Norman invasion of England in 1066 A.D., William the Conqueror built the White Tower and additions to it have made it possibly the most famous castle in Europe. This was a location that many found it easy to lose their heads including Ann Boleyn, Sir Walter Raleigh, and Sir Thomas More. It is also considered to be one of the most haunted places in the world.

Once inside the castle, you learn a lot about medieval life. The great halls, kitchens, throne rooms, arsenals, dungeons and prisons all tell stories by the very act of being. Seeing the defensive systems for the castle was impressive. The entrance to the castle was defended by water from the moat. There were also slots in the over the covered top that the defenders could shoot arrows and pour hot water or tar into the narrow passageway into the castle. Not my idea of a good time. I was most impressed with the arsenal. The cannons were on display but all had been sealed due to the threat of terrorism. The armor for the knights and their horses was displayed and you realized how small most of these people really were. Henry VIII's armor, however, showed how large a man he was (or thought he was) in more ways than one. I'll leave that to the imagination. My favorite part was seeing the actual famous portrait of Henry VIII that we all have seen in so many textbooks.

The Tower of London is also the home of the Royal Crown Jewels. Needless to say, security is pretty tight in this area. There is a lot of gold and silver in this room but once you step on to the moving belt to the jewels, there's no turning back. No loitering at the jewels for you! What struck me is that the actual jewels in the crown are so perfect, they look like glass.

Out on the green, you come across the marked site where the famous lost their heads. This wasn't always a quick end by the way. I read of one of the victims, I can't remember who, actually standing up after a stroke or two and asking the executioner if he could possibly get it right on the next stroke. He did. There are still many ceremonies at the Tower that you can sign up and watch like the changing of the keys and others.

If you picture a medieval castle, you are picturing Warwick. Although much of the oldest part of the castle is in ruins on the grounds, the reconstructed portion that served as the ancestral home for the Earls of Warwick who played such a prominent part in the history of England. There are displays set inside the castle depicting typical life scenes from the period as well as images of the Richard Neville, known as the Kingmaker who had such a pronounced role in English history before meeting his maker at the Battle of Barnet during the War of the Roses.

The castle has gone from castle to ruin several times. Now it is protected by the English Historical Commission. Your tour will take you through the dungeon, great halls with lavish tapestries and paintings, dioramas, bedrooms, and kitchens restored to medieval times. Outside the castles are magnificent formal gardens with huge trees that even an army of people can't put their arms around. Further down the hill is the bizarre where you can buy wares and watch jousting.

As I talk about other castles, there is one observation that I made that my family will back me on. The castles I have talked about so far are all medieval. We also visited Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau in Germany which are not medieval but instead were built in the early 1800s. The differences when you go inside the castles is obvious. The richness of decor and the presence of such historical artwork and surroundings in the old castles are awe-inspiring while the artwork in the two German castles seemed very two dimensional and un-inspiring.

We haven't had the pleasure of visited this castle considered one of the most haunted in Europe. Originally called Din Eydin, the Angles captured the castle in 638 AD and renamed it Edinburgh. In 1296, Edward I took the castle after a three day siege. Eighteen years later the Scots, under Robert the Bruce, recaptured the castle. Twenty years later the English retook it, followed by the Scots after another Seven years. Many hundreds of years later the tourists took the castle.

Like the Tower of London, this castle houses the Scottish Crown Jewels as well as the Sceptre, Crown and Sword of State. I was able to find some little known fun facts on the official website.

• The cannonball that was fired during Mary Queen of Scots wedding to Francois was later found two miles away.
• King James IV had a spy grate next to the fireplace in the great hall where he could listen to what was said. Mikhail Gorbachav was scheduled to visit the castle and the KGB asked that the grate be sealed. As it turned out, Gorbachav never made it to the castle.

Something sounds familiar about this one. Oh, I remember. Blarney, as in you are full of Blarney. This castle is the home of the legend of the Blarney Stone. The stone, if kissed, grants the "kisser" the gift of gab. This is no easy task, by the way. The blarney stone requires a contortionist to get down to it and in position to plant a smack on it. The legend evidently has roots back to Elizabeth I who pinned the phrase on Lord Blarney of said castle who would argue points endlessly rather than admit to her point of view.

The castle itself is about 600 years old and includes paths through the grounds with signs pointing the directions to several named natural stone formations such as Druid's Circle, Witch's Cave and the Wishing Steps.

Our next breathtakingly beautiful castle is owned by the Romanian government and is for sale. It could be yours for a mere $140 million dollars. Before purchasing, you might want to check into the background just a bit. This is the castle once owned by Vlad the Impaler. For you movie fans, that is who the story of Dracula is loosely based on. Without going into great detail let me just say that this one may come with a fair amount of bad karma.

This impressive castle is built in St Michel bay and is accessible by walking a causeway connecting the main castle with the mainland. Walking across the sand flats is highly discouraged as the tide comes in quickly and can trap those trying that route. The castle has served as a stronghold, a Benedictine abbey, and a monastery. Through the centuries it has survived many sieges and several devastating fires.

Our recent trip to Bavaria brought back memories of the many castles and ruins located along the Rhine river. I will follow this with a number of pictures taken along the bus ride through the Rhine Valley. There are many, some with not such good quality. I hope you enjoy.

King Ludvig II of Bavaria built Neuschwanstein watching from Hohenschwangau, his boyhood home. These more recent castles date back to the early 1800s. You can read more about them in my hub on the subject. There are many other famous castles including Buckingham Castle, home of the Queen of England and Peles Castle of Romania. It's a wonderful trip of exploration to explore these old remnants of history. That gives you a chance to see that countries

Treasured Pasts

Stuart