THE REAL Game of Thrones

Carcassonne defense fortress, France

Our final stop in France was at the town of Carcassonne which is centered around a massive fortified castle. We had two hours to explore the ancient castle and grab a bite to eat. At this point of the tour I was so happy to have Alexa by my side. Alexa is a medieval history major from San Francisco and she is a living encyclopedia who loves her topic. We strolled around the castle walls and saw the skinny little windows used to fire arrows out of. The inside of the castle was pretty much like the Renaissance festival on steroids. Shops lined the streets selling all forms of swords and shields, medieval costumes with elaborate hoods and t-shirts with knights and ladies on them.

At this point in the trip I had completed two of the five Game of Thrones books which take place in a medieval imaginary world. This allowed me to have a whole complex story to accompany the castle world I was exploring. I pictured Bran falling from one of the high, stone towers and his brothers practicing their sword fighting in the yard below. I wondered if this castle had an ancient crypt below it's walls as well. I pictured knights galloping across the thick wooden draw-bridge and and the elaborate feasts that would accompany their arrival. I might have been nerding out pretty hard at this point...but I love all things medieval and this town simply fueled the passion. If I could have lived in any time period it would be the medieval world...but my two requirements would be that I was of noble blood and I would need penicillin.