Traditional Germany in the Black ForestBoasting both charm and mystique, the Black Forest serves as the backdrop and inspiration for many of the Brother Grimm's fairy tales. The Black Forest is so named for its dense forests with small enclaves of thatch roofed farm houses with colorful vegetable and flower gardens. Places like the Black Forest Open Air Museum preserve the classic life of these isolated farms giving us a glimpse of how people lived in these forests for hundreds of years. Our local guide Elvira gave us wonderful context as she led us through a perfectly preserved farm house with old beds, carriages and stoves, as well as through a grain mill where a wooden face carved into a "grain puker" was said to ward off diseases that could come from the grain. Myth, superstition and storytelling are alive and well in the Black Forest.
Our favorite thing: Black forest cake with a sidecar of homemade cherry schnapps |
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Deep in the Heart of the Black ForestThe Black Forest Open Air Museum was a delightful stop on our journey between Baden-Baden and Murren. Elvira, our tour guide, helped us to understand how farms in the Black Forest have operated for the past 400 years. The thatch-roofed homes were built for efficiency, having entrances on the first and third floor. This enabled the residents to easily enter into the heart of the home or the attic area where hay and wagons were kept. The master of the farm, usually the oldest male, was in charge of the running of the farm and earned the right to the best bedroom (the warmest one above the kitchen stove). Children were less important and had duties such as tending the fire in the creosote encrusted smokehouse and ensuring that the home did not catch on fire. The families were a bit superstitious, as evidenced by the oxen skull hung high in the rafters to protect the house and the grain puker which warded off evil (mold in the rye seeds).
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So Much for the Simple Life...It was fun to see a varied wildlife and working animals across Germany and Switzerland. During our Black Forest tour, a "Traditional Black Forest Horse" showed a taste for fancy Vera Bradley bags when he tried to break into Shirley's.
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Let Them Eat Cake. Let Them Drink Schnapps.Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte. This is perhaps the only phrase in German that all of us remember reliably now that we've been stateside for four months. It isn't nearly as useful a phrase as knowing how to say "hello" or "thanks" or "excuse me." But after having tasted Black Forest cake in the Black Forest, it definitely stuck with us. Traditional Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte is built atop a flaky pie crust with layers of cherries, whipped cream and Schnapps soaked chocolate cake. It's even tastier than it sounds. Our guide Donald brought out huge cakes to cut for the whole group, as well as samples of the Schnapps used to make the cake.
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