Medieval
Renaissance Faires & Festivals
 "Renaissance
Faires" are very popular today, traveling throughout
the United States. No matter, where you live, you will be
able to visit a Renaissance Fair. Renaissance Fairs were annual
events during medieval times celebrating the end of a harsh
winter and the spring season of the lands and animals necessary
for survival. Farmers displayed their early crops, local inn
keepers offered there tasty dishes and craft people sold their
merchandise. Artists, Musicians, Jugglers, Actors, amused
and entertained the crowds. It was a time of hope and promise
for the coming year. Renaissance Faire is an blend of diverse
things happening during medieval times. Its partly a craft
fair, its partly historical reenactment, its partly performance
art. Everyone working at medieval Renaissance Faire dresses
in costumes typical of the late Elizabethan period. There
are booths selling crafts and food. Parades making their way
through the crowds. Jugglers, musicians, magicians, and other
entertainers perform through the day. You walk around buying
stuff for sale, eating turkey legs and more, watching plays
and performers, and of course drinking English Ale.
Medieval Castles
 England
is a land steeped in history, tradition and legend. It boasts
more than 1400 medieval castles across its countryside, many
of which are said to be frequented by ghosts, specters and
other supernatural occurrences. Here is a delightfully ghoulish
list of three of the best ghostly castles to visit…
Chillingham Castle . . . Billed as "The Most Haunted
Castle in Britain", Chillingham Castle in the county
of Northumberland in Northern England is infamous for an entire
collection of restless souls. The most famous of the castle's
ghosts is the 'Blue Boy', whose agonizing cries are said to
wail out at around midnight from a passageway inside the castle
close to one of the modern-day self catering apartments. A
soft light is then said to engulf a four-poster bed in the
room nearby and an image of the boy appear for a few brief
seconds. Chillingly, the bones of a boy and fragments of blue
clothing were discovered hidden behind a wall in the very
vicinity of the noises several years ago.
Old Wardour Castle . . . Built in the 14th century, Old Wardour
Castle in Wiltshire, Southwest England has been labeled as
England's most romantic castle. Set in secluded countryside
overlooking a lake the castle was used as a film location
for Kevin Costner's Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Twilight
though heralds an altogether more sinister side to Old Wardour
for it is here where one Lady Blanche Arundell - a Royalist
supporter during the 17th century English Civil War - held
out against Cromwell's Roundheads with her servants in a siege
that lasted nearly a month. The castle was eventually captured
by the Roundheads and Lady Blanche Arundell promptly imprisoned
and executed. It is said that she walks from the castle to
the lake in the fading daylight as a chill pervades the air.
Berry Pomeroy Castle . . . Not far from Dartmoor National
Park in Devon is the haunted castle of Berry Pomeroy. Now
a romantic ruin this 13th century castle is home to a number
of ghostly happenings, the most frequent of which is a sighting
of a White Lady. She appears in the dark dungeons below the
castle and on top of the castle ramparts, her apparition being
reported as recently as 1987. The White Lady is thought to
be the spirit of Margaret Pomeroy who was imprisoned in the
dungeons by her sister and made to slowly starve to death.
Discovering Loch
Ness Monster in Scotland
Loch Ness is arguably Scotland's most famous tourist attraction.
Every year, people from around the world visit this 24-mile
stretch of water for its breathtaking beauty, and of course
to revel in the legend of the fabled Loch Ness Monster. Loch
Ness is just one of many lochs (or lakes) hidden amongst the
awe-inspiring Scottish countryside, and is also one of the
most rewarding. There is so much to discover along its picturesque
shoreline and in the surrounding countryside, providing families
and the young at heart with fun, excitement and adventure.
The North Shore . . . Inverness is the essential starting
point for a tour around the Loch. Capital of the Highland
Region in Scotland, Inverness is situated at a strategic point
where the waters of Loch Ness flow out into the Moray Firth.
Views along the wide river are very impressive, Inverness
Castle sat high up on the river bank being the photographer's
favorite.
Loch Ness is some 15kms south-west of Inverness. Visitors
should take the A82 road towards Drumnadrochit on the north
side of the lake. Stunning views of the loch can be enjoyed
between the trees all the way along the hilly shore road.
Roughly a third of the way along the north shore the dramatic
ruins of Urquhart Castle come into view.
Urquhart Castle dates back to the 13th century. As far as
romantic ruins go, this castle has it all. It is perched up
above the trees on a rocky outcrop, which plunges steeply
down into the loch. The waters of the loch quickly reach a
depth of 600ft and it is said that sometimes strange ripples
can be seen on the water in the shadow of the castle - signs
that the Loch Ness Monster is stirring!
Onwards along the north shore the road takes you through
the 17th century hamlet of Invermoriston before reaching Fort
Augustus at the southwestern tip of the loch. At Fort Augustus
the staircase lock system on the Caledonian Canal can be seen.
The Canal was begun in 1803 by the great industrial architect,
Thomas Telford. If you want to tour the loch by boat, Fort
Augustus is the best place to do it from.
The South Shore . . . On the south side of Loch Ness the
scenery becomes wild. Single track roads hug the undulating
shoreline. The south side is often more tranquil, while the
100-foot falls at Foyer are an amazing sight! At Dores towards
the north-east end of the lake a small road switchbacks up
into the hills to the south. Here you will find a series of
smaller lochs nestled at altitude between the steep-sloped
mountains - perfect if you're looking for the ultimate in
beautiful Scottish scenery.
reprint permission from newsletterezine.com
& Seb Jay
|
