I Love Castles!

A gorgeous castle just down the road from the Chocolate factory

view from the Castle

Front gate over the moat that now holds chickens and rabbits

dry moat

an odd place to store a sword-inside the armor

MIghty big cannon ball and tools of war

Wood ceiling in the Knight's room

a few guns

Dinner?

Love the ceramic heaters.  the fireplace that heats the tiles
are hidden in the servants hall.  These things are decorative and project lots of heat.

The guidebook doesn't say but I believe this chandelier is Italian.

Riegersburg Castle- Austria

The Lady of the house was very large in confidence and stature

intricate wood inlay

Well toper!  Truly a one of a kind work of skill and craftmanship

Inner courtyard

Ceiling details

torture instruments for witches and other outlaws
The Iron Maiden

The Iron Maiden- pierces when her doors are closed

The insider's view of the front entrance
What would have been the baileys house or guardhouse is now a cafe.

A side entrance

The Tram that took us up

a Chocolate experience

www.zotter.at is the official website for the Schokolade/Chocolate factory I visited with friends yesterday.
Unlike Cadbury World this place gives you unlimited samples to taste.  Everyone is issued a porcelain spoon to catch liquid samples.  It is a fair trade company so the farmers in South America get a fair deal for their cocoa beans that are raised without pesticides and chemicals.  And the products produced are on the expensive side.
It was a tasty trip.

Cocoa beans- we were given the opportunity to break open and taste the bean of several types.  I found them surprisingly tasty.

a view into one of the experimental laboratory kitchens

All the beans have to be sterilized

Boxes ready to fill

Don't know what it is but it sure tastes wonderful

Cocoa butter tank

This was on the nasty side- as it hadn't yet been sweetened.

Do you see the porcelain spoon she is catching the sample in?  We were each loaned one.

This was one of the spices we could smell then guess what it was.

In the "milk" room there were dozens of samples to add to our warm milk.

my hot milk being poured

Now just add the chocolate

didn't taste this one, I had just tasted one that was so gross!!
It made me chicken to try the fish.

the spread the chocolate out on tables, hand spread it,
then let it dry.

Lots of flavours/flavors to choose from

Peanuts and Ketchup!

The Best Papa in the World!
I've been told that no papa's died to flavor this chocolate, it is milk chocolate with a gift label.