Continuing our trip back in time through my past few weekends in Germany, the weekend before we went to Strasbourg, we went with some friends to a local medieval festival at nearby Lichtenberg Castle in Kusel. I'd been to Renaissance Fests in the States and thought they were pretty entertaining, but there was something about being at a Medieval Festival in a medieval castle that made me feel like I'd actually been transported into the 1300s.
It was a blustery day, but the rain held out and we had a great time eating white sausage and apfelkringels (apples encased in a fried pastry--sort of like an apple-filled beignet), perusing the vendors' wares, and exploring the ruins of the old castle. We all cracked up when we realized we'd been standing in front of the sausages cooking over an open fire marveling for about five minutes, all, "Wow, people here cook with FIRE??? Amazing..."
We wrapped up our medieval time traveling with a little sword fighting show and a bit more shopping where I managed to score a gorgeous handwoven basket for 10 Euro. It has joined my Charleston sweetgrass basket on the kitchen counter and makes a perfect fruit basket. I just found out from a friend that Lichtenberg Castle has a tasty restaurant on site with a nice view over the valley, so I think we'll be heading back soon for a date night.
