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The Castle Gardens at Arcen, across the border in the Netherlands, hosted a medieval event over Easter weekend.
We went on Easter Sunday and enjoyed the spectacle, especially as the weather was great, there were no big crowds and there was much to see. I had the impression that while there were of course some (semi-)professionals around, most people who went about cooking food at their tents and walking around the grounds and showing their costumes were genuine enthusiasts. In general, the atmosphere was relaxed and fun.
The first show we saw focused on medieval weaponry and this man and his horse showed us how various weapons worked.

There was a dummy that got to feel the effects of the various blunt and bladed instruments after being hit by someone sitting on a charging horse:

Presenting the weapons to the crowd was part of the fun:

Making a watermelon suffer was even better:

The poor dummy had already lost its helmet. The breastplate didn't survive a mighty thrust with the spear.
Finally it was time for the mighty sword:

And it certainly did its job:

The watermelon was carried off a little later by one of the inhabitants of the tents, providing an exotic meal for a family of medieval folk.
He knew he was being photographed - and he is certainly very good at posing for pictures:
