Family Reunion
It has not happened for a long time that the whole family has been together, but this summer everyone made it happen. From Friday evening to Sunday afternoon we spent time together. We met in the town of the maternal grandmother‘s family. We got a tour from an old Aunt, seeing sites associated with family history. We spent time with family members there. On Saturday evening we all met for a formal dinner under the sky in a roofless ruined cloister. The setting was historic. The food was excellent. And we concluded with a lovely church service on Sunday morning in an old chapel we rented. It had an organ, stained glass windows, wood carvings, and very straight-backed pews, that wouldn’t let you fall asleep if you wanted to. The heat was close to unbearable every day. But it had been so for most of the summer.
We all stayed in this odd shaped house. It did actually fit us, but this corner was quite sharp, and the building had no right angles on its corners.
In our town tour we started at this fountain. There is a very old tradition that a neighboring town must bring a buck goat to this town every year. It has a big story, and gets celebrated every year.
Summer gardens and flowers abounded.
The town is so old, it has few trees left.
Deidesheim was having its annual Wine Festival. It is historically a notable wine growing area. The residents proudly let visitors know that in the festivities for the opening of the Suez Canal, wine from Deidesheim was served. Many houses have grapevines growing on them.
To be continued….
