Crusaders, kings, and warlords are addicted
to building castles. It makes you wonder if they had nothing better to
do in the middle ages except build castles. Perhaps they had castle
building competitions to brighten their lives in an otherwise dreary
millennium.
Castle mania comes in all sizes and shapes from the basic fortresses to
opulent palaces. Crusader castles tended to be smaller and more basic
when located in out of the way places and in less hostile domains; those
castles are more like fortified pilgrim stations than full on strategic
fortresses. When crusaders established beachheads in overtly hostile
territory, they built imposing fortresses commensurate with the threat.
I reckon that Turkey and Greece are the castle capitals of the world.
Everywhere we sailed, we saw castles overlooking the water. There was a
veritable PLETHORA OF CASTLES.
Each castle is unique and reflects the period in which it was built.
If times were relatively peaceful, the fortress may be small. If the
castle is in a strategically important location, the castle becomes a living
organism gobbling up more territory as it relentlessly expands. It's
like a mammoth rock amoeba that sends out pseudopods in every direction and
obliterates everything in its path.
The castle in this picture is hard to identify; somewhere inside this walled
city is a castle ripe for the taking. All you need to do fight your
way past three or four sets of fortifications, and before you know it, and if
you are still alive, you are standing outside the castle walls. Being a foot
soldier must have had it's perks in the middle ages, but at this moment,
nothing comes to mind. I can't imagine why any common man would
want to spend his time attacking castles. I suspect they didn't have
any choice in the matter. If you didn't join the military or
warlord in his quest for glory, they would kill you on the spot. At
least if you joined, you had a glimmer of hope that you might survive an
assault, and there's always a chance peace might break out.
This castle is on the mainland of Greece. I especially liked this one
because the fortifications extended out into the sea, and we could sail Exit
Only inside the walls of the castle's outer perimeter. Sailing into a
castle is cool, and for those of you who have everything, you now
have one more thing to do before you have done it all. Buy a yacht, and
sail it inside a Greek castle.
I'm glad I was born in the twentieth century, and that I'm free to live my
life as I please. I don't have to bow my knee to royalty or swear
allegiance to the Sheriff of Nottingham. I'll leave castles and
crusades to those who are willing to live other people's dreams. I
have dreams of my own to work on.
Too many dreams and too little time.
Life is good.
