Castle-tastic!

I fear I'm going to get spoiled because of this trip. For the first three nights we stayed in a palace. A palace. And now? Now I'm residing in a castle a couple of nights. Not just any castle either. Alnwick Castle, which is most famous because of the Harry Potter movies, as it was used in a lot of the exterior shots for the first two of these fabulous movie. It's also in Shakespeare in Love, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves and Elizabeth. Also? It's home to the Duke of Northumberland and his family. This is no chain hotel, my friends.

This could explain why I'm struggling to describe my experience here. Because it is unlike anything I have ever experienced in my life. The castle is hundreds of years old; the weathered look makes me think of the countless historical moments that could have occurred here. There are sprawling grounds surrounding the estate that are both picture-esque and completely intentional. The trees and creek that I can see from certain parts of the Castle were designed by an engineer who made suggestions about where the trees should be planted and how the water should run. The trees were brought from other parts of the UK, they did not magically grow there. Intentionality--it's not just a buzz word in student affairs, I'm finding that it plays a signifcant role in most things in life that I run across.

The quarters that we're staying in as a class are not elegant state rooms drenched in velvet curtains and lush carpet. That's reserved for the Duke. (Oh, more on the State Rooms in another entry.) We're staying in what used to be the servant's quarters, which means I'm in a room roughly the size of a dorm room. There are no consistency with the size of the rooms, because my room is about twice the size of some of my classmates, but then other rooms are even roomier than mine. This makes for some grumpy classmates who are practically sleeping onto of one another while solving the equation of 2 beds + 2 girls + 2 or more big-ass suitcases - a lot of room = wtf?!? I think we're learning a lesson in adaptability. We'll survive for two reasons...

1.) It's only for a couple of nights, and...
2.) We're staying in an EFFING CASTLE. I'd sleep in the open-air courtyard just to have this experience.

I'm struggling to describe how the castle looks. So instead I took a lot of pictures. I will always remember the awe I feel though as I stroll through the courtyard and attempt to not stumble on the inevitably cobblestoned paths. The lawns are lushly green, the skies look inviting and enchanting around the estate, and I feel like a princess as I take it all in. I imagine the grand parties thrown in honor of royalty, the historical bonds forged late at night in the state rooms, the secrets whispered in corridors late at night, trysts beginning in the corners random parts of the castle. The secrets that Alnwick must hold! I'm honored to be a part of history if only for a fleeting moment. And I envy the students who get to stay there for an entire semester as part of a study abroad experience. In the words of Napoleon (Dynamite): Lucky!