Best Castle Ever!!

Some days it's impossible to choose just one photo. And I'm running out of extras!!
Having been super organised and mostly packed last night it wasn't too stressful this morning. Mr K took the Little Misses into the pool for a last swim while I sorted out the food packing and the last few clothes.
Annoyingly the caretaker arrived at 9.15 - we had to be out by 10am - and insisted that I accompany her on a floor by floor inspection of the house. Goodness me she was thorough - turning every light on and off, running the taps, flushing the toilets...... Maybe people normally trash the place!!
As I was finishing up in the kitchen she came down with one of Miss E's soft toys and one of Miss L's toys. I'd searched the place high and low so it was a good job that she was so thorough!!
Packing is hard!!
Once the Little Misses were out of the pool and we were all packed up we headed off to William the Conquerer's castle in Falaise - the best castle in the world! We didn't realise but this weeekend is a bank holiday weekend so there was a big Medieval festival on - La Fête des jeux - reliving the preparations for the Battle Of Hastings 950 years ago. 
It was fabulous!!
As soon as we got in the castle and saw all the tents I got a bit over excited. When I was about Miss E's age I read a book called The Gauntlet about a boy who goes to a ruined castle and finds an old gauntlet. When he puts it on he's transported back in time to the castle in the Middle Ages. It was one of my favourite books and has stayed in my memory ever since. 
La Fête des jeux was like re-living the book and it made me giddy!!!!
There were hundreds of re-enactors all dressed up fantastically in authentic costumes. There were soldiers and archers demonstrating their skills, armourers sharpening swords and mending helmets and chainmail, cooks tending fires with meat on spits and giant cauldrons full of stew, medicine and herbalists tents,  flags and coats of arms everywhere.
There was a real sense that this is exactly how the castle would have been in 1066 - the heat, bustle, chaos and excitement. I loved it!
And after that we still had all the excitement of going into the castle itself which as I said last year is the best castle ever!!!
In fact I'll just copy last year's write up!!!

The keep has been restored brilliantly. All the new bits are obviously new - lots of steel and concrete and subtle lighting. There are lots of projections on the walls showing Guillaume explaining things and the best bit - what every single castle should have! - were the iPads  that you could use in all the rooms which used augmented reality to show the room as it would have looked in the 12th Century. Complete with the sound of the flickering fires! Just amazing!!
Empty stone walled rooms became highly decorated, full of fabrics and furniture and tiles and colour. There were rushes on the floor of the guard room, braziers throwing out sparks in the throne room, a bath tub in front of the fire in the bedroom, barrels in the cellar.
The Little Misses were astounded and could hardly contain their excitement to get to the next room to see what was there!
We went right up to the top of the tower and were treated to a spectacular view of the surrounding countryside.
Another highlight was the display of siege weaponry - the catapults, trebuchets, the mangonel and the gantry. The iPads worked here too and when you scanned the model they showed the contraptions at work. Some of them threw things two hundred metres!!
There was a brilliant display and video about the Conquest explaining the build up, the preparations, the journey over the Channel, the Battle of Hastings and William's Coronation.
I can honestly say it's the best castle I've ever been to!! 

From there we headed off on back roads to Giverny for the next couple of nights at the beautiful Les Jardins D'Helene. Mme S greeted us like long lost friends which is always nice and gave us plates and cutlery so we could eat our bread, cheese, pate, celeriac remoulade (which no-one else will eat apart from me, result!!!) salami and chicken flavoured crisps out in the beautiful garden.
Mme S let the Little Misses feed the fish in the pond which they loved. There are some beasts in there!
And we had fun playing badminton. First of all me and Miss E, and then - slightly more competitively - me and Mr K. I think I'll be aching tomorrow!
It's so good to be back!! 

Holiday Blips start here.