My first Muncaster vista. I fainted.

My first Muncaster vista. I fainted., originally uploaded by Phoole.

I've gotten events slightly joggled in chronology, I'm afraid. Between checking in at the castle office and chomping gingerbread, we were whisked out for a quick introduction to Muncaster Castle.

This is the first view I had of the castle proper. The place really looks like that. Perfect mountains, stone walls, castle-shaped castle, everything. I couldn't breathe. It was exactly what one wants all of one's life, especially if one reads too many books.

If you could magically go into this picture and follow the path forward to the edge, you'd look out across a magnificent valley, with treacherous quicksand marshes at the bottom. And to your right would be the legendary Tom Fool's tree, which we visited next.