Warwick Castle

Mathias, Alex, and I spent the most glorious day in Warwick. We arrived on the train well before the castle opened its gates. Thus, we first visited the cathedral...except the doors weren't open there either. So, we wandered around the cemetery, admiring the moss and lichen on the tombstones, the freshly cut grass, and the way time and wind had eroded the limestone markers.

Mathias and Alex were quite curious about the family plots that featured a stone enclosure. Several of these had large cracks between the slabs. Digital cameras with flash were employed to "see" inside the space. Obviously, nothing was inside. Still, we had a great time comparing the dates, the fonts used by a skilled mason, and the choice of tombstones. Finally, the cathedral was open. (That will be my next post!) Then, we headed to a late breakfast outside the castle and finally entered the fortified grounds.

As I wrote earlier, we headed directly to the trebuchet. Later, however, we visited the birds of prey and all the rooms inside the castle. Some of these areas were refitted to look like they would have appeared during the renaissance. Other rooms were displayed according to the late Victorian times. We went into each area, admiring the authenticity of each section and pointing to various details. All in all, we had a blast.

The photos here are just a few of the dozens I shot. I posted others on my new "family" blog: http://susanlenzfamily.blogspot.com. Artistically, I was blown away by the craftsmanship, the attention to detail, and the unique symbols used on the simplest of pieces. Again, the stained glass windows were quite remarkable. I took dozens more images than the few I randomly selected here.