Powis Castle

Right now I'm in the sitting room drinking tea and trying to keep warm by the wood stove. I've been lighting a fire every evening but it still barely touches the cold. I think my toque is helping more than the fire. Marijka is off to have a bath to warm up. Space heaters are blasting in our bedrooms so they'll be warm when we're ready to go to bed. We've had a wonderful few days but she returns to London tomorrow. I'll miss her!

Yesterday we visited Powis Castle (or Powys) near Welshpool, about 40 minutes away from the cottage. It was the first time either of us have visited a non-ruinous castle. We were quite impressed and I think a bit dumbstruck by the sights. Murals on the ceilings, portraits on the walls, intricate carvings, soaring ceilings, sculptures, canopy beds, heavy tapestries, a rosary that Mary Queen of Scots gave to somebody, a chunk of a hitching post that some army guy tied his horse to, and original furnishings that I'd be afraid to touch even if they weren't plastered with little signs reading, "Touching Causes Damage".

We arrived relatively late in the day so we made a rather hurried visit through the interior, then tried to get around the garden to snap decent shots of the exterior in the quickly-fading light. On our way back to the castle we detoured through the old orchard and snagged an apple or two for a snack on the ride home (probably a hanging offence but we weren't concerned).

The first view of Powis Castle through the gateway.

I love the knocker on the front door!

The hedge that made me think of Len.
The Latin name tags on all the plants made me think of Glenda.
You two would have been in heaven here.

Powis Castle as viewed from the gardens.

Marijka and me.
Freezing, windblown, hungry, and loving the beauty and history of God's world!