The Kastellet Moat

Hah!  Jael is short!  Actually though, I think I asked Jael to stand looking up
 at the sign, just so I could take this picture of her looking short.

Sunday morning, before church, Jael and I walked around the Kastellet.  The Kastellet is an old trace italienne star fort.  It is still used as for military ceremonies and things--the Kastellet was closed later in the afternoon that we were there because of what appeared to be an induction ceremony of some kind.
Now, however, the Kastellet is primarily a giant park and green space.  There are paths around the outside of the moats, paths around the insides of the moats, paths around the walls, and paths that just wander through the middle of it.  There were a lot of people out running and walking with their dogs.  It was really pleasant and peaceful.  There were also birds everywhere.  People had put out bird feeders of all kinds, all over the place.

 Jael tried to make friends with one of the ducks.  He wasn't having any of it.  He obviously wasn't afraid of people but he wasn't gonna be friendly.

This is the view that I had of Jael, most of her visit.  She kept walking rapidly ahead while I took pictures of things.
"What are you even taking pictures of?"  she asked.
"These pretty flowers!" I said.
"You mean the flowers that are exactly like the flowers that grow in Lynchburg?" she asked.

Jael doesn't have a proper appreciation for the differences of flowers in different places.

There is a windmill in the middle of the Kastellet.

The battlements are still solid looking and very tidy.  Presumably, they aren't still useful for much but they
are pretty and historic  and they do make an excellent walking park.

The moats were actually pretty substantial.  I don't know if you could go swimming
in them (we weren't tempted because it was freezing) but it would be nifty if they
let people swim laps around them, in the summer.

 

Apparently people do fall in, from time to time, at least.  Periodically, around the edge of the moat, they had life saving stations with life preservers, ladders, hooks, and ropes.  It was pretty nifty.  They were, however, not in very good shape.  The hook, on one of the stations, was broken and a lot of them looked like they were kind of old and decrepit.  I wouldn't really want my life dependent on these tools.

Jael did take some pictures, though.

She took the more artistic pictures of the battlements below.  They are very pretty.

"Wait, Jael!!!  I'm coming!!!!"