b'The furniture was destroyed or sold, and theFrenchgovernmenthasbeenbuying period pieces over the past 150 years, in an effort to restore the palace. The gardens are starting to once again become regal, after the devastating storms of 1999 destroyed most of the greenery.PelesCastle,inRomania,isde nitely one of my favourites. This summer home of the royal family has been used in numerouslms, including at least three or four Hallmark Christmas movies.I was fortunate my guide had connections, and we were able to get a behind-the-scenes look at some of the private apartments with their lavish furnishings. King Carol, of Roma-nia, fell in love with the mountainside of Tran-sylvania, and commissioned a hunting lodgeKronborg Castle was the setting for Shakespeares Hamlet.Please turn to page 32and came across a couple of castles, which I have had the pleasure of visiting. I thought it might be nice to highlight a few, and share my JONATHAN VAN BILSEN Kingimpression of them. rankedinanyorder,nor Thesearenot are they the worlds best. They are simply a selection of some of the ones I have seen and Travelling is of course, still an issue for mostOf The thoroughly enjoyed. is Versailles, the regal peopleduetorulesandregulations,whichThe veryonerst continue to change. Fortunately, I have man- home of the French kings. It was built as a aged to get the odd trip in, but nothing like ICastles hunting lodge, by Louis XII in 1623, and sat would like to. empty during the French revolution, until it was I was looking through some photographsoccupied by Napoleon during his reign. Majestic Peles Castle in the heart of Transylvania. Hever Castle was the family home of Anne Boleyn. A beautiful view of Neuschwanstein Castle from the small Maria bridge.FOCUS - JANUARY 202231'