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sister_luckLast Sunday the weather was stunning - blue skies, sunshine - a much needed improvement after lots of proverbial April weather with rain and even hail.
Ignoring the desk and the clutter we decided to do some local sight-seeing, visiting a place that the kid had not seen yet. Zons is an old fortified town by the Rhine.
Last weekend they had a medieval market and fair which also included the re-enactment of a famous battle.
We did not witness the battle, but still had a very good time in the sun.
Zons is both picturesque and sleepy - my memories made me expect a slightly more touristy place, but instead there were several empty restaurants and businesses for sale.
A look at the Rhine Gate and Toll tower:
The same tower from inside the city walls:
City walls - not entirely original:
Outside the city walls, pollard willows predictably:
The kid looking through the walls of Friedestrom castle.
The Juddeturm:
The medieval market was small but select (and also a lot cheaper than the big Ren Faire type gathering in nearby Neuss on the same day).
You will see more of the windmill soon, which was built out using one of the defensive towers in the Late Middle Ages.
The kid enjoyed the puppet show in this tent:
There was archery here:
The fair had a real family feel and was very inclusive - it was accessible enough so that there were not only lots of strollers but also wheelchair users around and there was also a fair bit of crossdressing going on, including a very tall medieval lady. Many languages, too.
This is part of the camp:
Some more impressions:
Someone else's kid trying on a helmet:
These guys had their tent rather close to the car park:
I've got to come back to the windmill:
No sails, but there was some turning now and again. The secret is that there is a coin-operated motor and for 50 cents you get two minutes of windmill action.
You can also climb up there and see the exhibition about windmills, but it's advisable to have some ice-cream first:
The market and the castle from above:
If you look closely, you can see the open air theatre that is part of the castle complex.
And of course you finish a visit to Zons with a stroll by the river, which had a lot of water from the recent rains:
Ignoring the desk and the clutter we decided to do some local sight-seeing, visiting a place that the kid had not seen yet. Zons is an old fortified town by the Rhine.
Last weekend they had a medieval market and fair which also included the re-enactment of a famous battle.
We did not witness the battle, but still had a very good time in the sun.
Zons is both picturesque and sleepy - my memories made me expect a slightly more touristy place, but instead there were several empty restaurants and businesses for sale.
A look at the Rhine Gate and Toll tower:
The same tower from inside the city walls:
City walls - not entirely original:
Outside the city walls, pollard willows predictably:
The kid looking through the walls of Friedestrom castle.
The Juddeturm:
The medieval market was small but select (and also a lot cheaper than the big Ren Faire type gathering in nearby Neuss on the same day).
You will see more of the windmill soon, which was built out using one of the defensive towers in the Late Middle Ages.
The kid enjoyed the puppet show in this tent:
There was archery here:
The fair had a real family feel and was very inclusive - it was accessible enough so that there were not only lots of strollers but also wheelchair users around and there was also a fair bit of crossdressing going on, including a very tall medieval lady. Many languages, too.
This is part of the camp:
Some more impressions:
Someone else's kid trying on a helmet:
These guys had their tent rather close to the car park:
I've got to come back to the windmill:
No sails, but there was some turning now and again. The secret is that there is a coin-operated motor and for 50 cents you get two minutes of windmill action.
You can also climb up there and see the exhibition about windmills, but it's advisable to have some ice-cream first:
The market and the castle from above:
If you look closely, you can see the open air theatre that is part of the castle complex.
And of course you finish a visit to Zons with a stroll by the river, which had a lot of water from the recent rains:
