A journey back in time...

...to the days of the Crusades.

Hello everyone, hope all is well with you and yours.  Sun is shining again this morning, which is such a bonus.

A few weeks ago, while I was on a bit of a break from blogging, I was lucky enough to return to what I think is one of the most amazing places on earth - the beautiful Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.  I just love it so, so much.  The people are so welcoming, the hospitality offered to visitors is humbling.  And the places you can visit - it is like being in a history book!!  As a child I loved to read stories about the Crusades, Knights, etc and when in Jordan this time I insisted upon visiting this place:

The Crusader Castle of Kerak.

It is AWESOME - the sheer size of the place is staggering.  Have any of you seen the film Kingdom of Heaven starring Orlando Bloom?  Well, this is the real castle where a lot of the film is set. 

A few glimpses of the sheer majesty of the place:

I love this view through the archway.

So amazing to think that the people I have read about in history books would have looked through the same archway.  Imagine all the things that would have run through their minds...as a little girl I used to hear the stories about this part of the world and dreamed that one day I would be able to visit.

There are three layers of underground passages to explore, it is staggering how these were built over a thousand years ago.  And even more staggering that the building has survived so well.

Of course, all this adventuring makes for a healthy appetite, here is a little something I cooked up for us when we got back to base:

This is a dish called Maqloubeh, it is rice, chicken, aubergines and potatoes with loads of spices (I made my self a meat free version as I'm a vegetarian).  There were no leftovers so it must have been OK!

Hope to be back again soon with some more photos of my trip.

Helenxx