Deidesheim

 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…. 

Late Summer Flowers

 From Garden

Not from garden

Hello, September

 Stay a Bit

August Odds and Ends

The eclipse that wasn’t (at least from our location)

During the not-eclipse 

Sister’s pictures from Florida. We like the birds. We don’t like the alligators.

In the small German town, where we stayed for Family Reunion, a very rare event with all of us together.

The house of our accommodation. Yes, it had this sharp corner, but it really did fit us all. 

The goat fountain in Deidesheim, where we met with relatives. (More on this to follow.)

In Brienz area, by Ballenberg, for a birthday dinner with family. 

These were for sale along the walk back to the car. Garden dwarves.

A local sunset out our window. 

The drain spout on a small local grocery store. 

 Goodbye, August. You didn’t stay around very long, but you sure were full.

Lenzburg Castle

 Through History

The exhibits in the castle tour start from the time when the castle was built, in medieval times. They progress through Renaissance and Baroque times to the early modern times, when the castle was bought and renovated by an American. 

A sitting room

My Lady’s bedchamber

The many roofs of the castle

The fields in a very hot, dry summer 

A rise garden courtyard 

Historical displays of area events and personages

This room is the most modern. It used to have the mounted head of a large American bison. The room seems empty without it. 

The End of this tour. 

Lenzburg Castle

 Garden, Views, and Inside 

The formal Baroque garden

The views of the town below from the guard house

A view toward a young man’s  proposal tree overlooking the castle

In the medieval part of the castle. The kitchen.

The apparatus on the table holds the light

The kitchen sink

The masters study

The ceiling in the study

The stone steps in the circular staircase 

The next period, Renaissance 

The tiled wood stove with apostles and historical figures 

To be continued….