There are nice homes, and there are luxury homes. I guess everyone's idea of a luxury home is different, but for me, it's size and age which define the 'luxury' in a house. There really are some beautiful new homes around these days designed by some very clever architects, but I personally love the character which comes with an old and well maintained building.

The United Kingdom has some of the most impressive stone built luxury homes I have ever clapped my eyes on. Some of these places are reaped in local history and have been occupied for generations by the same families, sometimes for hundreds of years. Even if they ever placed these properties on the market they would be well out of my budget. Oh well, one can but dream!

My sister, who also has a fascination for the luxury homes of the rich and famous, is so enthralled by how the other half lives that she often poses as a potential buyer when such places come onto the market. This way, she gets a personal guided tour around houses she would otherwise never get to see but from afar. It's all a bit cheeky but we love to gather round her at coffee mornings and hear all about the places in detail. We also get a good laugh out of it too, as she tells the story of how the estate agents believe she is of 'old money' and seriously considering a move into the area.

It doesn't seem to matter where you live, luxury homes are never too far away. Just about 2 kilometers from where I live, there's this gigantic house on a hill called Maple Place and it just looks so majestic and mysterious. No one knows who lives there for sure, but rumor has it's a widow of a billionaire shipping magnet, but know one has ever sighted anyone other than the gardener. Sometimes, on an evening when there's not too much mist rolling on the hill, you can just make out a dim light coming from a solitary window on the North tower. It's all very strange yet enchanting.

Some years ago, I was lucky enough to live in a beautiful part of town in Rotterdam, Holland. An old friend of mine rented his place out to me while he worked overseas for a couple of years. The luxury homes in the nearby neighborhood were nothing short of stately. Each house was detached and surrounded by ponds, moats, and huge trees. All were old and full or character. They were very large too, and each one had at least 3 floors with big circular balconies on the top bedrooms. Oh I could probably write a chapter or perhaps even a book on each of these fine places.

One thing that fascinates me almost as much as these luxury homes is the folks that live in them. Do you ever wonder who the inhabitants are of these splendid residences? I often wonder where they come from and what they do to afford and maintain such costly real estate.