And Now For Something Completely Different

So I live in this small town now.  It's a medieval town, and all around you can see traces of the past.  Not 100 yards from my front door sits a castle keep that was built in the 12th century, according to the town's website. 

This afternoon I went up to the top of the keep with my kids and their dad.  It was a way to get out of my apartment, let the kids get some air, and continue discussing things with my ex.  I took my camera.  Here are some photos, which are probably the most constructive thing I got out of the afternoon.  Besides getting my precious children back. 

The tower is 30 meters high.  To get to the top, you have to take a spiral stone staircase.  It's easy to imagine armor-clad men rushing up and down those stairs.  After we got back down, our thighs were shaking (okay, so we're not in Olympic form).  Part of me was shaking inside because being up so high both thrills and frightens me. 

After the first flight of stairs is an immense hall.  There must have been a wooden ceiling there at one point, because we could see a door a bit more than halfway up to the arched stone ceiling.  We walked around the perimeter of the room, and I took some more graffiti pictures:

Then we wended our way up the steps to the top of the tower, to the "panoramic view."  Here are some photos:

I especially like this one:

I'm tempted to post a picture of my gorgeous children, but just as I don't use their names here, I won't use their images either.  Trust me.  They're beautiful, and I'm lucky to have them. 

Comments

[Amber]

I have been blogging over a year now, with pictures of my kids plastered everywhere on my site and I have never had any unwanted or nasty problems...

[Alison]

I'm sure that it's fairly safe to post photos of them. I take pains to mask my actual whereabouts. But still...something keeps me from doing it.

However, there are a couple of pictures in one of the photo albums over there on the right.

T: http://alithinks.typepad.com/photos/my_sons_photos/selfportrait.html

And C: http://alithinks.typepad.com/photos/my_sons_photos/sister.html

[Allan]

Well aren't they the cutest things?

[Alison]

Why yes, yes they are!

[Daisy]

If they're casting for a remake of Dennis the Menace, I'd get that little cutie to the front of the queue!