The girls and I spent a very pleasant Saturday at Vianden Castle. Vianden, the town, is located north east of Luxembourg City, right near the German border. The French author, Victor Hugo (Les Miserables & The Hunchback of Notre Dame) visited Vianden several times in the 1860s writing and sketching about it's beauty. His accolades of Vianden did much to bolster it's popularity.Unlike many of the castles in the area, Vianden is open during the off season. Therefore we were able to go inside and look all around. The girls were taken with the knight suits and the maze of little corridors, nooks and crannies. I loved seeing the castle through their eyes. I loved watching Eva try to make sense of "some one really living here a long long time ago." History is a difficult concept to explain to a child. Whew. When we reached one of the bed rooms, complete with replica furniture, Eva looked at the "princess" bed and exclaimed with her hands over her mouth, "It's so beautiful I have to hold my breath."
This was a day that I will hold onto for ever. It was thrilling to see the girls eat up the beauty and mystic of the castle. They kept asking to go through the rooms again and again. Can we see the knights one more time? Of course! It's experiences like this that reassure me that this European adventure we're on will shape them, will teach them about the beauty of the world. And will help them appreciate that beauty.
More pictures here.
3 comments:
What a fun outing. The pictures are all great, I especially like the one of the girls together at the window. This is DEFINTELY a worthwhile experience for your whole family. I really hope it is going well.
Oh my gosh... I am so jealous! What an incredible experience! Eva's comments are to die for. Can't wait to take our girls there! :)
You are absolutely right about why it is you choose to disrupt your lives and live in a far away place. These a lovely photos and rich and wonderful memories. How marvelous of you to capture them so beautifully and eloquently.
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