I FELT LIKE A PRINCESS
CLIFDEN

I FELT LIKE A PRINCESS

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I knew I was staying in a castle before I ever walked through the door. I drove through the stone walls, past the Abbeyglen sign, and down toward the ivy-covered building, fountain, lawns, and all those places to sit outside. I was completely giddy.

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Inside, the fireplaces were burning peat, and that smoky, campfire smell immediately made me want to curl up somewhere warm. There were velvet chairs, leather lounges, tartan carpets, fireplaces tucked into corners, and little places to sit everywhere. And then there was Froda, the resident parrot, waiting beside the reception desk.

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But what I remember most wasn't the castle itself. It was the people.

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Each evening, everyone gathered for champagne and stories about the castle and the area. There was live music in the pub, and I met locals who shared places to see, roads to take, and things to try.

During dinner, Rowan came around to every table, making sure everyone felt included. My country's flag was placed on my table, and later he invited me to sit with him, the musicians, and some of the staff.

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For a little while, I wasn't a traveler staying at a hotel. I felt like I had somehow become part of the place.

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I crocheted beside the fire, wandered the halls, sat outside, listened to music, and enjoyed every bit of the old-world coziness around me. I almost didn't want to leave.

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I felt like a princess.