(no subject)
Jul. 22nd, 2017 03:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beccaelizabethI been trying to think of things to do, and I wondered if I could go sleep in a castle.
As you do.
Turns out I live in the only bit of the country where this is not simples (:eyeroll:)
but Britain is very well provided with castles
especially if you count 19th century thingies with lots of glass.
I want to get a room up a tower and stare out the window and write something exciting.
... there may be a few practical difficulties if said tower doesn't have a lift, but as long as I only go up and down a couple times a day carefully, should be fine.
So I wondered if you can sleep in Eilean Donan castle
and not as such, no, but
they have a cottage and apartments with a view of it.
So I could sit in a perfectly ordinary flat, stare *at* an excellent castle, and write something exciting.
Different vibe, but doable.
Might take more planning than usual. I looked up how to get there and there was a post being all "you're in luck! it's just a two hour bus ride!"
... the picturesque bits and the accessible bits of the country maybe might not as much overlap...
There's plenty of actual castle hotels, which is really neat.
But all them pictures of four poster beds and blurbs that start with it being a perfect couples getaway... *sigh* I mean I know exactly what genre I'd end up writing, but I don't know how many people want to read about the perfect wedding and honeymoon with a supervillain who just really gets you.
... it's extra practical for a supervillain. Beaches are all very well but if you can't go letting your guard down...
oooh, 4.5 foot thick walls... nice...
or "All rooms have access to our conservatory and battlements walkway. WiFi is free"
:-)
The phrasing on booking.com is funny though. castles keep being "best value in [x]! get more from your money compared to other hotels in this city!"
only I looked some of them places up and none of them were as big as my town. the smallest was about 350...
found a dining room with weapons on the wall
... £270 a night, booked solid until October, of course...
I'm just trying to think outside the box, where the box is this flat I've barely left since college finished, which has been years. I mean this year with employees has been most excellent compared to the previous without, but I still only get as far as the dancing lessons and the pub. And they would help with expeditions. Not to scotland because not a day trip, but still, help.
I could in theory go anywhere in the world.
I mean most of it would be a terrible idea, but I could.
I could go to a theme park, but I think that is a Maximum Humans experience.
The next few months are a Maximum Humans time, obviously, with school out, but planning means starting with enough of a run up to book things.
I could go places with Minimum Humans.
There's hotels where the draw is you can watch the Northern Lights through a dome from your bed. That's not an interactive experience but it sounds pretty cool.
Also way too far, but, thinking phase.
I would like to see the Lake District, though when I said that out loud mum was all why? But it's not like Norfolk. The land goes up and down like anything.
They have hotels with good views too, though I don't know which ones.
And I'm sure there's ways to get quite a long way up a mountain without actually climbing anything. Or walking far. Or getting lost.
... I am not going to try exploring on my own, that's a headline waiting to happen.
But there's tours and all sorts, if I wanted.
I like the sort where you see extraordinary things from the train. That seems practical and efficient. Bus tours might be neat, but I think I get travel sick if I take the slow bus to Norwich. I should test that again, the slow bus goes to the university anyway, I can go see the arts again. But trains are just good, so far.
I could go on a movie locations tour.
... Cardiff, is all my top ten places. I could go to Cardiff and see all the different angles that were in Doctor Who. And there's a castle.
I could go on a boat or a ship. Not very far, there's ambition and there's being ill a long way away, but I could do several water based activities and learn much more than I already know, if expressed as a multiplier of my near zero knowledge.
I mean at the moment my vaguest plan gets as far as a beach, because I haven't been for ages. But there is a lot of beach. I could choose new and unusual bits of it.
... there's a bit of me that is just, like, wherever I go, I'll just be there. How different can it be?
But I went to Stonehenge and I went to see a play in original Shakespeare places and those were both excellent expeditions I still have many memories of.
... also immensely stressful, but, that happens most places. that happens sitting here...
So I'm just cranking my daydreams bigger to see what I could see.
As you do.
Turns out I live in the only bit of the country where this is not simples (:eyeroll:)
but Britain is very well provided with castles
especially if you count 19th century thingies with lots of glass.
I want to get a room up a tower and stare out the window and write something exciting.
... there may be a few practical difficulties if said tower doesn't have a lift, but as long as I only go up and down a couple times a day carefully, should be fine.
So I wondered if you can sleep in Eilean Donan castle
and not as such, no, but
they have a cottage and apartments with a view of it.
So I could sit in a perfectly ordinary flat, stare *at* an excellent castle, and write something exciting.
Different vibe, but doable.
Might take more planning than usual. I looked up how to get there and there was a post being all "you're in luck! it's just a two hour bus ride!"
... the picturesque bits and the accessible bits of the country maybe might not as much overlap...
There's plenty of actual castle hotels, which is really neat.
But all them pictures of four poster beds and blurbs that start with it being a perfect couples getaway... *sigh* I mean I know exactly what genre I'd end up writing, but I don't know how many people want to read about the perfect wedding and honeymoon with a supervillain who just really gets you.
... it's extra practical for a supervillain. Beaches are all very well but if you can't go letting your guard down...
oooh, 4.5 foot thick walls... nice...
or "All rooms have access to our conservatory and battlements walkway. WiFi is free"
:-)
The phrasing on booking.com is funny though. castles keep being "best value in [x]! get more from your money compared to other hotels in this city!"
only I looked some of them places up and none of them were as big as my town. the smallest was about 350...
found a dining room with weapons on the wall
... £270 a night, booked solid until October, of course...
I'm just trying to think outside the box, where the box is this flat I've barely left since college finished, which has been years. I mean this year with employees has been most excellent compared to the previous without, but I still only get as far as the dancing lessons and the pub. And they would help with expeditions. Not to scotland because not a day trip, but still, help.
I could in theory go anywhere in the world.
I mean most of it would be a terrible idea, but I could.
I could go to a theme park, but I think that is a Maximum Humans experience.
The next few months are a Maximum Humans time, obviously, with school out, but planning means starting with enough of a run up to book things.
I could go places with Minimum Humans.
There's hotels where the draw is you can watch the Northern Lights through a dome from your bed. That's not an interactive experience but it sounds pretty cool.
Also way too far, but, thinking phase.
I would like to see the Lake District, though when I said that out loud mum was all why? But it's not like Norfolk. The land goes up and down like anything.
They have hotels with good views too, though I don't know which ones.
And I'm sure there's ways to get quite a long way up a mountain without actually climbing anything. Or walking far. Or getting lost.
... I am not going to try exploring on my own, that's a headline waiting to happen.
But there's tours and all sorts, if I wanted.
I like the sort where you see extraordinary things from the train. That seems practical and efficient. Bus tours might be neat, but I think I get travel sick if I take the slow bus to Norwich. I should test that again, the slow bus goes to the university anyway, I can go see the arts again. But trains are just good, so far.
I could go on a movie locations tour.
... Cardiff, is all my top ten places. I could go to Cardiff and see all the different angles that were in Doctor Who. And there's a castle.
I could go on a boat or a ship. Not very far, there's ambition and there's being ill a long way away, but I could do several water based activities and learn much more than I already know, if expressed as a multiplier of my near zero knowledge.
I mean at the moment my vaguest plan gets as far as a beach, because I haven't been for ages. But there is a lot of beach. I could choose new and unusual bits of it.
... there's a bit of me that is just, like, wherever I go, I'll just be there. How different can it be?
But I went to Stonehenge and I went to see a play in original Shakespeare places and those were both excellent expeditions I still have many memories of.
... also immensely stressful, but, that happens most places. that happens sitting here...
So I'm just cranking my daydreams bigger to see what I could see.
no subject
Date: 2017-07-22 03:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-07-22 04:24 pm (UTC)bad typo
thanks
no subject
Date: 2017-07-22 04:26 pm (UTC)This is how it starts :)
You seem to be asking questions in this post. I know some of the answers. But I need you to clarify: In posts like this, are you asking actual questions that you would like us to help answer, or is finding out the answers for yourself part of your fun?
no subject
Date: 2017-07-23 11:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-07-23 12:28 pm (UTC)The best place for castles is Wales - loads of really good castles close together. But Cardiff castle itself is very disappointing - not a huge amount left. The very best castles are in North Wales: Caernarfon, Conwy, Harlech. The second best are along the Welsh/English border (the Marcher Castles).
If you want small castles, especially ones that still have a roof, try Northumberland. That also has Hadrian's Wall, which everyone should visit at least once.
There are good castles along the south coast in Kent and Sussex. Dover Castle (Kent) has rooms decorated in medieval style so it feels most like a lived in medieval castle.
For straight-forward accessibility, there is the Tower of London.
If you want to look at something else inspiring, consider some of the ruined abbeys and priories. The best place for those is Yorkshire: Fountains, Riveaulx, Bolton Abbey. Anything built by the Cistercians or Carthusians tends to be in a very beautiful location. They are beautiful, evocative, and often have fewer noisy tourists than the castles. There are also lovely ones in Wales: Tintern and Valle Crucis. And there are some in Norfolk and Suffolk.
The Lake District is very pretty, but very busy. The parts you can reach without being a serious hill walker tend to be very crowded with tourists.
The Peak District is not so far from you, has lots of up and down and is very attractive. But I'm not sure how easy it would be to get around without a car.
Yes: Snowdon in Wales or Cairn Gorm in Scotland. Both have a railway to get to the top.
I have to travel on my own sometimes so I know about hotels.
Even the poshest hotels normally have cheaper single rooms, not everyone staying is a couple. But single rooms can be very cramped for what you are paying. So if you are happy to just look at a castle, not stay in a castle, I would advise either a second tier hotel or a good quality bed and breakfast. Never ever stay in an old coaching inn, they are always ghastly and noisy.
Good hotels really do want to help you. They can organise anything you need from booking taxis for the station and trips, to making sandwiches and helping you plan activities. And they look after you in an extra fashion if you are there on your own. If you are staying midweek or more than a couple of days, always ask if they will do you a special deal. You can book everything by email so no need for stressful phone. B&Bs have less time to be helpful but do their best.
Package tours are mostly older people. You would be stuck in a coach with them so that might mean a lot of talking to people. And the schedules tend to be very packed so very bad for writing.
Before I went to Stonehenge I thought it would be boring. It was one of the most memorable and amazing trips of my life. It is such a special place.