The last two months have been filled with family, travel, visitors (Personal Notes). It has been a whirlwind of excitement, fun, laughter, some sadness (Saying Goodbye) and, I can’t say it enough, family. How I miss my cousins, my sister, my mom & Dad and even Sebastian. My house is incredibly quiet. I miss the hordes of people tromping through the house, gathering in the kitchen and just the sound of voices talking.
Everyone left last Friday, Sebastian left early Sunday, and by Sunday afternoon I couldn’t take it anymore. The quiet had become too much. Tess & Cole were perfectly happy with a quiet house, both were curled up in bed sleeping the sleep of exhausted teenagers. Dane, however, had the itchy-pants worse than me. He was ready to go! Surprisingly Dave was ready to go too. I would’ve thought he’d welcome a moment home alone in a quiet house, something he craves and I hate. But he wanted out too. Luckily for us there was a Ritterfest (knight festival, or medieval festival) just down our “mountain” in the Hirsau abbey.
Amazingly we found a parking spot 300 meters from the abbey, and quickly walked through beautiful downtown Hirsau to the abbey. I swear, this town couldn’t be more idyllic if it tried. We paid our 5 “talers”, the currency before the mark, before the euro, to get in and were immediately transported back in time. My imagination went wild, I could envision myself at the abbey, back in the 1500’s. Only the thought of no running water or toilets kept me from wishing for a time warp.
We filled up on delicious fire-roasted boar sausage, wrapped in fire-baked bread. We washed it down with cherry beer from old stone mugs. The three of us shared a bag of sugar-crusted roasted almonds, still warm from the pan, as we strolled past the booths, the people in costume, until we hit the children’s hands-on “experience the time of knights” area. And that was all she wrote. Dane’s eyes got big. He didn’t have to ask. Dave pressed a couple of “talers” into his little hand and he was off shooting bolts.
My Opa was the crossbow champion of Europe for many years. Archery is in our blood. Dane begged for a crossbow of his own, we finally compromised on a bow and three arrows… with the promise that he would not, ever, never, shoot them in the house. So far, so good.
My Opa Geelen on the far left with his bow.
The bridge into Hirsau & fly fishing. I want to try fly fishing!
I love owls. And this one is making Tess’ “I’m feeling goofy” face LOL!
Hirsau Kloster from the street
It reads “A peek into the time of knights”
I’ve decided a wood-fired oven is a need.
I love that things cost “knight money”. Silverlinge & Talers ♥
The old, with the ancient, and the new.
Can you find Dane? Guess where we spent the day till the rains came?
I wouldn’t buy him a crossbow, but he is now the proud owner of a bow & arrow set.
Taler, mark, euro – whatever it is, I want one of those cheese pretzels! Love your photos and story.
LOL! I want another one now. I wish the fest wasn’t over.