My Fairytale Castle
I told the Let the Words Flow gang that I’d share pictures of “my castle”. I’m finally doing it today.
One of the many perks of living in Germany is that there are castles everywhere. Seriously, everywhere. They’re like Waffle Houses in the southern US or Tim Horton’s in Canada (sans the fast food, of course).
One of these castles is right next to my home. I can literally see it from my window. And, boy, what a view!
It’s a real fairytale castle (or Schloss, as they’re called in German), complete with ivy and roses. At any moment, you expect Rapunzel’s hair to come rolling down from the tower window or Prince Charming to ride through the gates.
It’s most stunning to gaze upon in the spring (see photo left) when the flowers are in bloom and the grass is it’s brightest green. But it’s also beautiful in the fall (see photo right), when the ivy turns a deep, blood red.
It is a tiny Schloss, especially when compared to the monstrosities of Neuschwanstein or Schonbrunn. All the same, I’d totally live there!
The castle (and a church behind) from a distance.
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The castle’s front steps and crooked coat of arms.
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An adorable guard house beside the front steps of the castle.
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A knight slaying a dragon. Wicked cool, huh?
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So there you have it. The castle next to my house. You can’t go inside. It’s privately owned. One day (when I’m rich and famous — haha) I’ll buy a castle of my very own. And I promise, you can come visit.
You tell me: Do you have any cool landmark places by your home? Or just the usual Starbucks? 😉
-S.
November 22, 2010 @ 1:06 pm
I am totally jealous!
Like much of South Florida, my town was founded in the 1970s, so … yay? There is nothing cool by my house. Ok, I take that back. I live close to the ridge, which is the highest elevation in the county at a whopping 20 or so feet above sea level. It’s where the Seminoles and Tequesta used to go way back when during hurricanes. Allegedly. It’s nothing like a castle.
But I used to live just a few steps from Copley Square in Boston, which was chock-full of awesomeness. The Boston Public Library, the Hancock tower, the Copley Plaza, Trinity Church, CVS! Ok, not so much excitement with CVS. 🙂
November 22, 2010 @ 1:48 pm
How gorgeous! Hey, Germany isn’t ALL that far from Madrid, right?? Perhaps I could come visit this summer 😛
November 22, 2010 @ 1:59 pm
Gorgeous. Nothing quite as cool as a castle here, but there is a natural spring where a woolly mammoth’s bones were found. 🙂 And manatees.
November 22, 2010 @ 2:13 pm
Meredith: CVS — awesome. South Florida has palm trees and the ocean. Ocean pretty much trumps castles in my book… (I guess the marine biologist in me is still bigger than the romantic). And your Boston vista sounds pretty fantastic!
Kat: Um, yes. Visit. Unless I’m in FLORIDA then. 😉
Holly: Another Florida comment, and I have to say MANATEES TRUMP EVERYTHING. Well, except for Hogwarts. I’d choose to live next to Hogwarts over manatees, but manatees over everything else.
November 22, 2010 @ 3:19 pm
YES, COME TO FLORIDA!!! I has manatees…and a boat…. That is all. lol
November 22, 2010 @ 4:54 pm
I am so jealous right now. When I lived in Ireland, you still had to drive a little ways to go see one. And you have one in your backyard?!
November 22, 2010 @ 5:10 pm
WE have a castle near our home aswell:O I wonder will I take a photo and we can contrast Irish and German castles…except the style in Irelands not as pretty:P
November 22, 2010 @ 7:16 pm
Even when I lived in the Netherlands there were no castles nearby. Though, I did live a few blocks from the Grolsch Brewery before they built a new one. Ahhh, biking home to the smell of hops a brewin. It was awesome.
November 22, 2010 @ 7:45 pm
AGHSIGHISGNSGHSIGHSG
SO JEALOUS!!!!!!!!!! You are totally living my dream life.
Thanks so much for this awesome post!! <3
November 22, 2010 @ 9:04 pm
Sammy: You got to live in Ireland. That’s pretty coooool.
Tymcon: You live in Ireland NOW. That’s REALLY coooooool. And, yes we can totally compare/contrast.
Katharine: No castles in ye olde Holland, huh? Well, the scent of a brewery is rather awesome too.
Sarah: I keep imagining the Faerie castle in your book as this one… Le sigh. Now if only Taemlyn were here. 😉
November 22, 2010 @ 10:00 pm
Ahhhhhhhh gorgeous!! Just wait. I’ll be your neighbour someday!! 😀
And the knight slaying the dragon, that’s St George, no?
November 22, 2010 @ 11:37 pm
I live in KANSAS. You know it’s been scientifically proven that this state is flatter than a pancake, right? Since I view history as something that has occurred at least 300 years ago, there’s nothing of huge historical interest around my home. However, I did live in an English Manor house for six months. Does that count? And my husband’s related to the Duncan MacBeth killed….
I’ll take whatever claim to fame I can get! I’m desperate! LOL
November 23, 2010 @ 3:42 am
YEEEE!!!! No wonder you write so well; you have the perfect inspiration! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
November 25, 2010 @ 6:14 am
That is SO totally awesome 😀 I think I’m in love with the little guard house *TOO cute* 😀
November 27, 2010 @ 3:49 am
That’s incredible! I love the fact that it’s a… quaint castle, if there is such a thing. Not too grandiose or full of itself. 😀 Beautiful and content.