Where was I today?

Umm…playing “Meditation” on my violin inside a castle chapel/great hall and listening to the fantastic acoustics as my music reached the painted clouds?

Serious, I wasn’t just daydreaming when I was reading. It was real.

The castle is called Chateau Charmant, and it’s smack in the middle of a patch of woods in the Midwest. Exactly the place for a castle, really. Up on a hill with a fantastic view from the catwalk.

And that echoing chapel…

If I’m honest, I find it a little amazing I happened to be there myself. The short answer is simple enough–the mercenary historical fighters I went to the nerd con with were going and invited me along, in hopes of finding a good Renaissance faire location.

But that doesn’t really sound like a simple answer, does it? To someone outside the loop, it probably sounded like absolute gibberish.

To simplify it still?

I followed the bumpy gravel road through the woods, past the gate with the lions, over the bridge and up the hill, and found the castle.

And when I asked very nicely, the owners of the castle let me take out my violin and play.

This is why I don’t think it sounds real, even to me. Even if I do have half a dozen swordsmen ready to vouch for it.

Even if it was just for today, I’ve got to admit, sometimes it really feels like there is fairy magic in the world after all.

Happy day.