Lovely Leeds Castle

Picture Perfect
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Leeds Castle has been called the most romantic castle in the world and after our visit there I understand why.  The castle sits on hundereds of acres of land that have been transformed into beautiful gardens and a breeding ground for some rare and beautiful creatures.

We toured the castle, which was quite boring to be honest, but since it is a smaller castle it didn't take too long.  We then walked around the grounds admiring the landscape.  We saw the most beautiful animals either of us have ever seen...black swans, and a lot of them.  They were the most elegant looking birds with incredibly glossy black feathers, and stunning red beacks, they are just amazing.

Merry Christmas from Leeds Castle
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We also completed our second garden maze in as many months, and have decided that we are going to try and complete all garden mazes in Europe.  As dorky as it sounds, the mazes are a great source of fun.  Upon leaving this maze, however, we followed the signs to the grotto...which I would recommend to anyone else completing it.  The grotto was carved right into the stone and had a really creepy waterfall that looked like a person's face.  Patrick said it reminded him of The Goonies, but I don't remember that film.

Our second maze in as many months - we are total nerds
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One thing we didn't do while at Leeds was the Dog Collar Museum...yes, that is right, the castle is home to the world's only dog collar museum.  And, although we skipped this site, all the guidebooks that I read say that it is a must while visiting Leeds Castel.  I guess we should go the next time we stop by for a spot of tea and a crumpet.

We have some photos that I will post soon...I hope, but our internet is down and the photos are on my computer.