Etzelwang

We arrived at Edel's late Saturday night after many helpful German's pointed the way.  I've realised that the stereotypical German doesn't exist in Bavaria, they're all smiley and happy and helpful!  

It was soooooo good to see Edel, she's a friend that we met in London who now lives in Peru and she's back visiting her family in Germany for a few months.We nattered away when we arrived at her place, eating yummy German cheese and meat and bread and drinking freshly pressed apple juice.  Edel's family is into doing everything themselves and eating organic stuff.  We tried out the oats roller that is on the wall in the kitchen.  You put the grain in at the tip, turn a handle and it goes through two rollers and comes out as rolled oats at the bottom.  It had never entered my head before that rolled oats are actually rolled, I just figured they came in that shape!

The next day we met all the family and had breakfast together.  This meant bread with honey from their bees, milk that was either from their goats or from another farmer's cows, and homemade muesli.  

After breakfast we headed off into the countryside to walk to the castle that Nicolas Cage used to own, Schloss Neidstein.  The jump photos were taken (so much easier when you don't have to use the self-timer!), the castle surrounds explored, and a whole lot more catching-up done.

We then headed home to the most hilarious lunch ever, I think it has something to do with the lack of preservatives they don't have in their bodies.  Edel's parents had invited a few of their farmer friends over for lunch.  A whole bunch of us crowded around their table and we proceeded to munch goat (their own), cabbage (2 different types made 2 different ways), and potato (again, done 2 different ways, 1 roasted and 1 canoodle which is like waxy mashed potato in balls that is boiled so it has a kind of firm clag glue consistency).  Most of the conversation was in German but there were some larger-than-life characters at the table so it was hilarious just watching them.  The weirdest part was when they started reciting Monty Python in English, Andrew, being a big fan, thought it was brilliant!

After that Edel showed us photos of Peru and a video of the orphanage that she is going to be working with when she goes back.  It sounds incredible.  Then we went back to the table for more food (yummy German plum cake and Peruvian jelly and corn pudding) and more hilarity.

In the late afternoon we went and helped milk the goats.  I was amazed that I could do it cause I remember trying to milk our cows when I was a kid.  I guess the size of my hands then and the size of the cows teats was a little different to my bigger hands and the goats smaller teats.

After milking we had to hit the road.  We were bundled off with organic salami (2 types), fresh apple juice and a jar of goats milk.

It was such a fabulous trip, and so worth the crazy amount of driving that we had to do.  It was so great to see Edel, she's one of those friends that I will have for life no matter where we live on the globe (we're already arranging to do kid-swaps so her kids can learn English and our kids can learn Spanish!).  It was also lovely to meet her family, I hope that people feel as welcome and comfortable when they come to our home, even if we can't provide them with milking experiences and celebrity castles!