Becoming a World Traveller: Castles, Castles and More Castles

"They told of dripping stone walls in uninhabited castles and of ivy-clad monastery ruins by moonlight, of locked inner rooms and secret dungeons......."

It's not really a secret that I love castles. So it's a good thing that I got to go to lots and lots of castles while on this Study Abroad. Looooooooots of castles. Here's a (hopefully) comprehensive list:

-Grosmont Castle
-Skenfrith Castle
-Old Beaupre Castle 
-Usk Castle
-Kenilworth Castle
-Chepstow Castle
-Raglan Castle
-Dover Castle
-Walmer Castle
-Deal Castle
-Caerphilly Castle
-Castell Coch
-Tintagel
-Harlech Castle
-Cricketh Castle
-Caernarfon Castle
-Beaumaris Castle
-Dolbadarn Castle
-Penhydron Castle   
-Cardiff Castle

They were all so amazing and beautiful but I definitely had my favorites. My favorite castle that I visited was Kenilworth Castle. It was HUGE and made of a orangeish/pink stone and had a gorgeous lawn and garden, and it had a bunch of little places to explore. I can't exactly explain why I loved it so much, but I just did.

Tintagel was probably my second favorite, but that deserves a whole other post because Tintagel is a whole town, not just a castle so I'll save that for later.

Another one of my favorites was Chepstow castle, which just so happens to have been JK Rowling's inspiration for Hogwarts. Observe:

I also have a thing for windows, if you couldn't tell. 

Anyway, exploring castles was definitely one of my favorite parts of my study abroad. It was incredible to me that most of them had been around since before the United States of America was even a country, and the fact that I got to touch them and climb on them and explore them was such an amazing experience. It was a sort of magical feeling to be surrounded by those old stone towers, living out my childhood fantasies. I mean, how often do you get to do something like that? 

Answer: Not very often, so take every chance you can get! 

And now for a castle photo dump. I'll try to label them all correctly but I make no promises..... 

Raglan Castle

Top view of Raglan Castle

Usk Castle

Usk Castle (love the ivy!)

Dover Castle

Inside the keep at Dover Castle

Caerphilly Castle

Another angle of Caerphilly

Quick story about Caerphilly Castle: So at this castle they had random rooms with dummies/mannequins in them and they were always in a position where you didn't notice them at first. So I was exploring and there was a room on the keep wall that I hadn't explored yet so I decide to go check it out. I went in and up some stairs (and it was dark inside mind you) and all of the sudden I hear this explosive farting noise and turn to look in the corner and this is what I see: 

I screamed really loud because may or may not have thought he was a real person at first. Scariest/Most Awkward Dummy Award goes to....... The Pooper.

Anyway, here are more castles: 

Castell Coch

Also known as the Fairytale Castle

Just living out my Princess dreams

Sneak peak of Tintagel

I'm pretty sure this is Harlech Castle....

But it may be Cricketh

Or this one might be Cricketh

It's hard to say.

And I'm 89% sure this is Caernarfon Castle

And I know FOR SURE this is Cardiff Castle

Cause where else would they put us in the stocks?

Castles guys. I can't get enough of them! 

Love, Brontë