Okay, so let me explain the title of this blog. Since this is Labor Day weekend and Brad has Friday and Monday off and I make the school schedule around here we headed off for our first 5K Volksmarch (an organized hike in surrounding towns). The weather forcast - iffy! As we started out on the Autobahn the rain began. Mr. Optimist (aka Brad) said it will surely dry up before we arrive. Upon our arrival in the town of Schonbruch we had the wipers on high and a beautiful view of the incoming rain storm. So what did we do? We headed out of course! Oh did I mention that we were in his car with only one umbrella? Well I won out with the umbrella since the kids both had hoods on their jackets and Brad was tough enough to weather the rain and wind.
We started out up the hill in the steady rain enjoying the countryside through the apple orchards and farm land. We stopped to view several of the huge slugs and snails enjoying this nice wet afternoon :) But the forest wasn't far....just right up that hill...a little further...and then we'd be able to enjoy the shelter from natures canopy. Well just before we reached the sumit...the sun peeked from behind the clouds. Here to the right you'll see a photo of Jack in his "glossy" rain coat taking a repreave from the hood. Once we reached the top of the hill, ready to enter the forest, enjoying the sunshine - it began raining inside the forest! Wouldn't you know it had rained so hard that with the wind it was now "raining" under the trees! So we were able to enjoy seeing the sun through the trees, under the umbrella, down the otherside of the hill!
Okay, what about the name? We came to a clearing where it was warm and sunny and we were able to shed our jackets and really enjoy the sights. And low and behold more fruit trees, except this time, plums. I didn't mention this before but I find it important to mention now. Rewind 2 weeks ago. Brad had taken the kids to the park down the street and allowed Jack to eat 1 wild blackberry from the plentiful bushes. 12 hours later - yep you guessed it....sicker than a dog and who was left to tend to Jack in the night and all the next day....that's right - MOM! Okay back to the plums, the Forbidden Fruit. Brad and Jack both decided, against my pleading, to eat from the beautiful looking trees so ripe with the purple juicy plums. As I walked down the path a bit further there it was, a sign posted, as if God put it there himself in this Garden of Eden. "Vorsicht! Pflucken kein frucht. Verboten!" (Caution! No picking fruit. Forbidden!) As I yelled to Brad and told him of the sign, he quickly threw the apple that he had in his hand. The clouds rolled in, the wind picked up and then came the curse! We were at the half way point of the 5K and down came the rain. Hence, The Curse of the Forbidden Fruit! After running the rest of the way in the pouring rain with the umbrella sideways and all the feet soaking wet we reached the goal - the Festhaus (fest house).
Here we were able to enjoy dinner under the shelter of the tent. Traditional German fare of Rotwurst (red sausage), Schweinsteak (marinated pork steak), Brot (bread), kartoffelsalat (potato salad), kuchen (pastry) & kaffee (coffee). Here is a picture of our favorite the Bienen Stiche (bee sting), a pastry of cream, vanilla torte with honey and almonds!
Each Volksmarch has a prize at the end if you finish. Sometimes it may be a mug, pin, stuffed animal, toy, or trinket. Today's prize was not one high on our list - a figurine for harvest. Maybe you can guess that by the look on Madeline and Jack's face below.
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