It was a dark and stormy night . . .

Actually, it was a bright sunny day at Hearst Castle when I snapped this picture. It's my favorite shot of dozens of shots I snapped last Saturday. I was trying to get something that would capture the Gothic feel of the place. In this one, I like the way the gold leaf accents shimmer against the black wrought iron trim. The interior of the castle has much more of this type of detail, so the 2 hour walking tour was a real feast for the eyes. Randy Hearst must have had a wild imagination when he built this dream home for his new wife. He certainly had the bucks to indulge his every architectural whim. To bad no one lives there now.

I wonder if, in another 100 years or so, people will be touring Bill Gates' castle. I've heard he's put zillions of dollars into it. But will it charm the way Hearst's castle still does today? Only time will tell.