SodaPop Pages: Market Day

This post was originally from the blog sodapoppages.blogspot.com  written by Jennifer Harruff.

SodaPop Pages: Market Day:
I love living in Germany, and some of the great perks of living in the Eifel are the farms and open spaces. I remember when I learned we were moving here. I was under the impression that everything in Europe is smaller, especially houses and apartments. However, when we got here, we found these amazing towns clustered together in beautiful little communities, and the houses are much larger than I ever dreamed they would be. They may not have closets built into the rooms, but they make up for the lack of space in storage spaces and bedrooms (ours has five bedrooms). The people in Germany are very outdoorsy, so you can spot them in the fields walking with long walking sticks (which reminds me of the travelling Uncle from Fraggle Rock) or just walking with their dogs. Several homes have stunning gardens and many people grow their own fruits and vegetables. I love driving through the towns in spring, when the flower boxes on the houses bring an explosion of color that instantly makes you feel happy and welcomed.

The people here are very friendly, and even though my Deutsch is not by any means perfect, I find that when I try to speak German, they are put at ease, and usually can speak better English than I can speak German. In most cases, people are terrified that their language skills are worse than they really are, so when they see me struggle, it lets them know that I feel exactly the same way about my own skills.

I recently went to a market in Wittlich. I've been really wanting to eat more local fruits and vegetables, so this was the perfect opportunity to find some! Even though there weren't many vendors, we found everything we needed, and I even saw some new foods that I'd never seen or heard of (purple carrots!). I saw some amazing carrots with the green leafy part still attached, so I instantly snagged those. Aren't they gorgeous?

I was amazed at the quality of the foods offered, and even more at the prices. I got a bunch of carrots, a bag of celery, four apples, five lemons, a bundle of cherry tomatoes that smell amazing, and an english cucumber all for eight euros and some change. The bag was pretty heavy when I finished shopping. Since my family eats a ton of veggies and fruit each week, this really makes me happy.

The kind lady who was selling at this stand gave my daughter a free banana. She was really great. Since this was my first experience going to the market, I felt a tad bit awkward with what I needed to do, so I asked if I could use the bag I brought to corral my items while I shopped. She was pretty helpful, and assisted me in getting my goodies into the bag. The market had fruits and veggies, organic fruits and veggies, eggs, baked goods, fresh meat cuts, deli meats, and olives/spices/jars of oil with foods inside. While we waited for our friend to get her donut holes, the lady even gave one to my daughter for free!

Summer Festivals in the Eifel

In the summer, the Eifel is full of fun events and festivals that are sure to keep any family busy and happy. There are various winefests all over the area, but here are a few of the more popular events:

European Folk Festival
In early July, Bitburg hosts a European Folk Festival. The event lasts for five days, and includes dancers and music from over 15 countries. There is a parade and folk dancing demonstrations. Festivities last for about three days, with different fun events going on per day. A children's folk festival is also included.

Rhein in Flames
The Rhein in Flames is a fun event in Koblenz, with a small carnival with rides and food/drink vendors along the river. River boats travel up the river and shoot off fireworks before the official start of the fireworks display. The fireworks show is a true marvel. The sides of the river are first lit up in soft orange lighting that slowly turns red over the hours, simulating the flames of a fire. When the fireworks start, music is blasted from overhead speakers, and the fireworks a choreographed to the music, which lasts for a few songs. In Germany, these fireworks displays are performed by people who spend their time competing for the best fireworks displays in the world.

Pig Fest

Wittlich hosts the Pig Fest every year on the third Sunday in August, and it is something that is worth visiting! A fun carnival is set up, with food/drink vendors, games, and a little area for shopping handcrafted gifts and other goods. There are also several stages set up for live music entertainment, and the roasting a pigs on the spit are the main attraction. The story behind the pig fest is that long ago the village was under attack by the Huns, and the city gates were shut to protect the people. The pin that usually closed the gate went missing, so a large carrot was wedged into the gate to close it. A pig came by later, and ate the carrot, allowing the Huns to come into the city and invade. To take revenge against the pigs, all pigs were slaughtered in the city, and every year they roast several pigs on a spit to mark the occasion. A count of how many pigs have been roasted will appear on a little board near the pig tent. The pork is sliced and served on brotchen, and is very delicious. 

Bernkastel Weinfest
The Bernkastel Weinfest is a fantastic event featuring local wines from the region, carnival rides, games, and food/drink vendors. It is held during the first weekend of September in Bernkastel. Festivities begin on the Thursday before the weekend, beginning with wine tastings. For more information, use the link above.

Medieval Festival

Manderscheid hosts a midieval festival during the last weekend in August, which lasts for about three days. There are live shows, jousting, musical entertainment, vendors selling food/drinks and handmade goods, and fun demonstrations for kids to participate in. The Manderscheid castle can be visited during this time, which is truly stunning to view from the roads passing by. It is set in a hidden mountain area, and in order to reach the festival, cars must be parked in specified fields, and transport buses take vistors back and forth.