I have always wanted to live in a castle. Too many fairy tales, I think
I've heard all the bad sides, drafty and damp, and so on, but these do not deter me. I want turrets and a great hall and a moat with a drawbridge.
Too much to ask? I think not. Let me give you a tour of my castle, and you tell me...
We enter across the large wood and cast iron drawbridge. It is left down during the day, of course, so my friends can come and visit, but at night we close everything up tightly. I say we, because I could not possibly maintain this huge castle by myself. Many friends and most of my relatives live here with me. Though we hardly ever see each other, just at dinner and passing in the halls...So across the drawbridge we go, and through a set of massive iron double doors. These are always locked, just to be safe. My friend William stands outside the doors all day, to welcome people and allow them to pass into the castle. You would think that would be a very boring job, but Will likes nothing better than to talk to people, and he has a nice comfy chair to sit in and a book to read if there's no one around. We wave hello to Will as pass...
The first room we enter is the Great Hall. It is called Great not because it is wonderful (although I am a master of interior design, if I do say so myself...) but because it is HUGE. I forget the exact dimensions now, but it's something like 50 feet across and 75 feet deep. Wall hangings were very difficult to find. Only large tapestries work well. There is little furniture here, because it would get lost in a room this size. Just a few chairs right inside the door, where people who have appointments with me sit and wait their turn, and a giant wood pedestal table (not a round table, I'm afraid, though I am looking for one...) where we have our big dinner parties, and a sitting area at the back with my throne and some comfy chairs and couches for guests. Next to this is a very large fireplace, so my guests and I are always toasty warm (I was not lied to when I was told castles are drafty, chilly places). But we really don't spend much time in this room. In the morning I come and receive guests, and in the evening, but only if we are having people over for dinner. Beyond this room is a smaller dining room where we eat most of our meals. Past that is the kitchen, which is almost as big as the Great Hall. It has to be, of course, with so many people living here. We have to feed them all, you know. There are two huge stoves, and small wall of baking ovens (we go through a lot of bread, and I am most partial to cake, especially late at night). And a few pantries, and a cold room beneath the kitchen, where we keep butter and things of that nature, and a root cellar, and a wine cellar. For such a big room, it's really quite cozy, because the stoves and ovens are always going, and it has big windows looking out over the vegetable garden. Everything is wood and stone and iron, and there is always an assortment of foodstuffs, herbs and such, hanging from the timbers to dry. I spend a lot of time there, being mistress of the house, and I have to say it's one of my favorite rooms...
There are three more rooms on the first level of the castle. One, next to the kitchen, is simply called the workroom. That's where we do laundry and make soap and candles and other messy things. Another is the library, which has a big fireplace and shelf after shelf of books, and big tables for writing, and big comfortable chairs in which one can while away an afternoon with a good book. I spend a lot of time here, too. Next to that is a "sitting" room, where I receive close friends and guests who desire a private appointment with me. This is just an average room, with a little fireplace and couches and chairs and things. I always keep fresh flowers here, and candles burning, because there are no windows, and it can get stuffy...
That's the first floor of the castle. If you'd like to see a plan of the first floor, it's here, and if you'd like to see more of my castle, follow me to the Second Floor!
If you have any questions about the the castle that I haven't answered here, or if you just want to send your greetings to me, email me here!
