If only Michel Guyot kept a blog! He's building a medieval French castle the hard way -- authentically. 50 French craftsmen and plenty of volunteers are building Guedelon, Guyot's castle, by hand. Stone by stone, with horses to cart heavy loads and hammers and chisels to carve with, this castle is being lovingly handcrafted. The project is expected to take some twenty years -- there's already moss growing on the half-finished walls! Now there's someone who appreciates authentic restoration!

by Jamaila Cohen-Michaelson, contributing editor