I admit it.  I’m a Castle-a-Day kind of girl. I love castles, ever since my first trip overseas when I was a newly-wed.  My college sweetheart and I took our wedding present money and went to Europe on the “Europe on $5 to $10 a day” program.  

Folks my age will remember that book. 

We spent two weeks of our four week trip traveling in the British Isles going to a castle everyday reliving English and Scottish history.  I was in heaven. 

Recently I had a repeat of that experience. While I didn’t get to a castle every day and certainly the trip cost more than 10 bucks a day, I happy visited a slew of castles in both Ireland and France.  

This blog post is a brief recounting with what I hope are interesting highlights. 

Grianan of Aileach, Ireland  

The first one to talk about isn’t actually a castle.  Grianan of Aileach is what is called a cashel which is the English version of the Irish word Caiseal, meaning stone fort.  It  dates back to 1700 BC.   Meandering around the stone structure imagining what life was like for the people who hung out here that many centuries ago really stretches the imagination.  

Glenveagh Castle and National Park , Ireland 

Gardeners should put this castle on their travel list.  The grounds were fabulous.  Unfortunately it was raining pretty hard so I didn’t get to meander as much as I would have liked,  but this is well worth a visit if you are near Sligo, Ireland. 

The castle itself was fascinating.  We weren’t allowed to take photos inside or this blog post would be filled with images of quirky and unusual decor.  Evidently the massive structure was owned by some creative Americans over the years and used as a fanciful retreat. 

I did capture the stunning pool on the lake side of the castle.  I’d like to take a dip on a sunny day. 

Downhill Estate , Ireland 

After Glenveagh Castle  we braved the elements to go to Downhill Estate.  

Downhill House was a mansion built in the late 18th century for Frederick, 4th Earl of Bristol and Lord Bishop of Derry, at Downhill, County Londonderry. Much of the building was destroyed by fire in 1851 before being rebuilt in the 1870s. It fell into disrepair after the Second World War.

What I will remember is one of the information plaques recounted that the Lord Bishop liked to spread a light layer of flour on the floor of  the hall ways in the bedroom wing after everyone went to bed  so he could see what nocturnal visiting occurred.  

Hmmmm.  Interesting, guy, huh?  

Donegal Castle, Ireland 

Donegal Castle was built by the O’Donnell chieftain in the 15th century.   Several rooms were furnished including the Great Hall so we could envision what life was like. Looked cold and drafty to me.  

Dunluce Castle, Ireland  

I really enjoyed meandering Dunluce Castle.  All that is left if the shell but it isn’t hard to imagine what a wonderful spot it must have been when inhabited.  The location provides both fabulous views and amazing protection.  

Dunluce Castle has a long and tumultuous history. It was built on the dramatic coastal cliffs of north County Antrim by the MacQuillan family around 1500.  It was seized by the ambitious MacDonnell clan in the 1550’s, who set about stamping their mark on the castle under the leadership of the famous warrior chieftain Sorely Boy MacDonnell during an era of violence, intrigue and rebellion.

We were told that the legend says that the kitchen of the castle fell into the sea, but our guide said, not true.  Makes for a good story though.  

It was a great spot for my photography group.  Lots of interesting angles, textures and sight lines for creating dramatic pictures.

Fort La Latte, France 

The above places were all in Ireland.  After I met up with my husband in France, we  visited a couple of castles  in Brittany, a charming part of France.  

My favorite was Fort La Latte, rumored to have been settled in the 10th century.  La Roche-Goyon, as the castle first called, was built at the end of the first half of the 14th century. 

It has a long history of battles and wars as the families that owned it defended their fantastic location on the English Channel. 

It went through a period of neglect but was restored in the 1930.  Now the family uses the manor house as weekend home and charges for visitors to tour the grounds and historic tower.  I particularly enjoyed the view from the top.  

The Chateau de Fougeres France 

We visited another castle in Brittany not far from the famous and over-touristed Mont-Saint-Michael, called Chateau de Fourgeres.  After enjoying a delightful French lunch at a charming restaurant just outside the castle walls we ventured inside.

But not before we smilied at the fanciful murals nearby.  Clearly this castle is geared for lots of tourists.  This became evident when we toured the inside spaces.  Sound and video were used to tell the story of the history of the castle.  Quite entertaining and interesting.  Really made the story of when these kinds of structures were thriving communities and economic centers come to life. 

Chateau de Magny on Morvan Estate

Lastly I’ll show a picture of the chateau where we stayed at a Photography and Food Retreat in Burgundy.     Actually we didn’t stay in the chateau, but in a facility converted from stables and out buildings.  The current owners, sixth generation, have created a Yoga Retreat space which our tour company rented for the week. 

Our quarters were comfortable but spartan, perfect for the intended use.  On the last day we were given a tour of the chateau, which was like going back a couple hundred years in time.  Grand.  Elegant. Slightly shabby.  A bit chilly.  The owner asked that we not publish photos of the interior so I’ll respect that.  

Just know it takes a special sort of person to live in a chateau which dates back to the 1600s. 

Come back next week for more scenes from Brittany, my new favorite part of France.