After the usual speeches, it opened with an unexpected bang, three blunderbusses going off with a defeaning roar, and featured minstrels, a beggar, knights in combat, a great many people in medieval dress, some wearing shoes because of the weather, others barefoot because of it. The blunderbusses were much louder than you will hear in the video. One fellow promised us we'd get our sense of hearing back before we left. He was right (whew).
We bought wine from a young man wearing a cape, kilt and no shoes, who explained to us it was easier to deal with wet feet than wet shoes. We tasted his wine, and it was good.
There were wonderful craftsmen demonstrating their crafts and selling their wares, priced in thaler, a silver coin used throughout Europe for almost four hundred years, although Euros were accepted everywhere.
Fortunate for us, since we had brought no thaler!
One young boy took his role as a squire in earnest, parading up and down the area valiantly, once challenging the beggar, whom he refused passage until the beggar begged the father for help.
The musicians played regularly, juggled and stuck a sword down the throat of a young maiden, who apparently suffered no harm. There were games for the kids, the most popular of which was using crossbows to shoot at the soldiers on a castle facade. Few parents left without purchasing a wooden sword.
Although it rained heavily just before the event was scheduled to begin, I only had to put up my umbrella twice, and that for very light rain. The re-enactors, who stay in a multitude of tents, travel from market to market throughout the summer. Even their children get in on the act, and I appreciated the family atmosphere and many opportunities for children to play.
For lunch we bought a large waffle, which was not a dessert, but a meal. It tasted like there was potato in the mix, plus herbs and tiny bits of diced ham. We also split among the three of us a slice of German bread with melted goat cheese, also topped with herbs.
If you find one these medieval markets (mittelaltlicher markts) near you, I recommend the trip. It will be great fun for the family, plus fine shopping, too. I left with a cutting board for the kitchen, a bottle of peach liqueur, 3 bars of homemade scented soap, and a fresh loaf of bread, baked in an oven there at the market.
There were wonderful craftsmen demonstrating their crafts and selling their wares, priced in thaler, a silver coin used throughout Europe for almost four hundred years, although Euros were accepted everywhere.
Fortunate for us, since we had brought no thaler!
One young boy took his role as a squire in earnest, parading up and down the area valiantly, once challenging the beggar, whom he refused passage until the beggar begged the father for help.
The musicians played regularly, juggled and stuck a sword down the throat of a young maiden, who apparently suffered no harm. There were games for the kids, the most popular of which was using crossbows to shoot at the soldiers on a castle facade. Few parents left without purchasing a wooden sword.
Although it rained heavily just before the event was scheduled to begin, I only had to put up my umbrella twice, and that for very light rain. The re-enactors, who stay in a multitude of tents, travel from market to market throughout the summer. Even their children get in on the act, and I appreciated the family atmosphere and many opportunities for children to play.
For lunch we bought a large waffle, which was not a dessert, but a meal. It tasted like there was potato in the mix, plus herbs and tiny bits of diced ham. We also split among the three of us a slice of German bread with melted goat cheese, also topped with herbs.
If you find one these medieval markets (mittelaltlicher markts) near you, I recommend the trip. It will be great fun for the family, plus fine shopping, too. I left with a cutting board for the kitchen, a bottle of peach liqueur, 3 bars of homemade scented soap, and a fresh loaf of bread, baked in an oven there at the market.
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