I was excited to see more of the world, learn more about my heritage, and then come home and share it all with you guys! I spent seven days exploring beautiful towns, historic castles, and eating the most delicious food. Seriously, German bread is unreal! I made friends with talented writers from around the world and our fabulous German hosts. I came home with so many new stories, experiences and an even stronger desire to discover more of this planet we call home.
Today I want to share with you day one, otherwise known as the day I went to my very first real-life castle. Castle Kranichstein is located in Darmstadt, Germany, an area just 30 minutes away from Frankfurt. We actually rode on the autobahn to get from Frankfurt to Darmstadt which was so much fun. The property now includes a beautifully modern hotel attached to the castle so you can step back in time by day and sleep in air-conditioned comfort by night.
After checking in we had time to relax and unwind in our rooms which was very nice as I had been traveling for twelve hours and looked a hot mess. I did however, experience my first European King bed, otherwise known as two twin beds combined.
While it perplexed me a little, I know Josh would probably prefer this situation as he would get his own blanket and not have to deal with me stealing the one we usually share in the middle of the night! And as I unpacked I found this sweet card from Josh. This was my first trip to Europe and I was traveling by myself so it really meant a lot to find this tucked away in my suitcase.
This castle was originally designed to be a hunting castle. It really shows in the decorations lining the walls. I learned that this castle was owned by a landgrave otherwise known as a count or prince. When the royal families would come hunt here they would only display the most unique and prized antlers on the wall. As we walked around I wondered why just the antlers were displayed and not the entire head of the deer. It was then explained that these antlers are so old, they predate taxidermy!
