Most mothers are great when it comes to taking care of a sick child, and my Mum is no exception. But she certainly is special in that, on top of bringing me a huge piece of her home-made green asparagus quiche and generally making sure I have everything I need, she wrote today's guest post for me.
I have left it largely unaltered, and I think it is something to be proud of if you speak and write another language as well as this - especially considering that my Mum is 70 years old and never had any formal education in English beyond what she learnt at school more than 5 decades ago.
[Square brackets are mine.]
Guest Post for My Ill Daughter
Today [Sunday] we had in our hometown a very traditional event: Pferdemarkt,
that means horse market. It goes back to May 1731, when Duke Eberhard
Ludwig [the founder of Ludwigsburg] reigned in Württemberg. If you are interested, you can learn more here [in English].
The whole town and a lot of tourists come to Ludwigsburg to
watch the parade, which takes about 2 hours. So many people, the town
was really crowded - but, what a pity, without Meike. The reason: She is
ill and has to stay at home. My husband and I went to the parade, and Meike asked me to take photos for her. So I did, but sometimes the groups
passed rather fast, and when it clicked in my camera, they were already
further on...
The parade was set up chronologically: They began with the Romans [who have indeed settled in our area], then the Middle Ages, then Baroque, then "Biedermaier", I think a Germany-specific era in the the 19th century, exactly from 1815 - 1848, and
then the present time, when horses were replaced by tractors.
And of course, there were also groups of inhabitants of
Ludwigsburg, not Germans, but Greeks, Portuguese, Spaniards, French and
others.
One club does American Square Dance, the call themselves "The Happy Sliders", very colourful and all in best mood.
After standing more than 2 hours in the crowd, we were thirsty and a
bit tired, so we went to a restaurant-garden, had a drink, and then
went further to the "Krämer-Markt". That is a great market, with many
stalls, all under old blooming chestnut trees, but very, very crowded.
It doesn't matter too much to me, but my husband can't stand those
situations. But he wanted to go there, so he had to deal with it. And we
found everything we looked for, things you cannot buy in a shop.
And then, as a reward, I invited him to a super Italian icecream parlour and we could sit again, enjoying a delicious tasting icecream.
So, my Dear [that's me!], that was our Sunday afternoon, I wish you to get well soon!
Mum and Dad.
- - - End of Guest Post - - -
I really, really, really wanted to go and see the parade yesterday, but there was no way I could have done it. Even if I had felt better, it would have been very inconsiderate towards everyone around, me being still infectious.
This is not the first time something about the Horse Market has appeared on my blog. In fact, the very first picture I ever showed you of my parents together was from that event. If you like, you can re-read that post here.
Anyway, I am officially on sick leave until Wednesday, and hope to be back at work on Thursday. In the meantime, thank you, Mum, for the lovely quiche, the guest post and pictures and everything else!
Hope you are better soon Meike. Your mum has done a very good job in your absence and taken some excellent photographs. Well done!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Maggie! I am glad my parents still went, because when I first said I was probably not going to be well enough, my Mum said that she was not going to go then, either.
Delete'Well done' to your mother! Such an interesting post about a very colourful day. I'd love to have been there! The market afterward sounds line a treat too - perhaps you or your mother will write a post about it one day.
ReplyDeleteIt's just a large market with all sorts of (mostly non-food) stalls; clothes, household items, pots and pans and baking tins, brushes, tablecloths, wool and lace and fabrics, cheap toys and handbags... there is hardly ever anything there I want (or need!), but usually we get some sweets.
DeleteNice post by your Mother. I think we went to the Pferdemarkt once when we were living in Stuttgart.
ReplyDeleteThere is one in Ludwigsburg and another one later in the year in nearby Bietigheim. The Bietigheim one is smaller (as the town is smaller, too) and, as far as I know, does not have a parade.
DeleteWhat a wonderful illustration of your history! Well done by your mum! I hope you are on the way of getting well.
ReplyDeleteI hope I will be, Nonnie. So far, the medication does not seem to be kicking in all that much. But I have another two days of resting ahead and am optimistic about going back to work on Thursday.
DeleteWell done, Meike's mum! And Meike, get well soon.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Frances. I shall be good and do what the doctor told me.
DeleteSo interesting! I do hope you feel better soon!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sketchbook Wandering! If memory serves me right, this is your first comment here. Welcome to my blog, and thanks for stopping by and commenting.
DeleteHope you feel better quickly, and thank you for sharing the lovely sights of the parade!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Next year I hope I'll be there again. Some people find it boring, but I love this tradition and have always gone to watch since I was little.
DeleteI really am sorry that you are unwell Meike. What a lovely post Meike's Mum. I so admire your ability with the English Language. I wish that I had that ability with languages. I am sure that I can recall the parade from last year or perhaps the year before. I love parades like that.
ReplyDeleteStill not much better, but at least I've slept really well last night and the night before, unlike nearly all of last week when I was kept awake by my own discomfort.
DeleteI haven't checked the date yet, but it could be that this year when we're in Ripon, my sister and I catch the parade on St. Wilfred's Day.
Sorry that you are not well, Meike! However, I thank you for letting your sweet Mum write this post for us, your friends and readers!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the parade! And how tickled I was to see the square dancers, a touch of America in your parade! Happy to tell you that I enjoyed square dancing in college, it was great fun!
I must say I am a bit like your husband, lots and lots of people make me a bit...antsy, I suppose you could say!
Meike, I hope you get well quickly!
Thank you, Kay! No real improvement today I'm afraid, but I'll just keep taking things slow and won't do anything that requires much effort today except for doing the ironing and a spot of groceries shopping.
DeleteSo sorry that you are ill, but how fortunate you are to have a loving mother who will bring you what you need and even write a very well done guest blog post for you! The horse market is fascinating! I'm sorry you had to miss it. Be well, Meike! Be well soon!
ReplyDeleteI consider myself very fortunate indeed, to have my family so close by, and to be able to send an "emissary" to events such as the horse market when I can't be there myself :-)
DeleteOne or two more days, and I am sure I'll be alright again.
How lovely of your Mum to share these pictures with us. The parade looks fascinating as is the history behind it.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear you are poorly but hope you recover quickly. :)
Yes, it was so good of her to do this for me!
DeleteI'm still not much better and doubt I'll be going to work at all this week. On the other hand, that means more time for my Sims :-)
Your mom is a great photographer, the pictures are beautifu. I hope your daughter and you are feeling better now. I cannot imagine standing 2 hours in the crowd, I really don't like crowds.
ReplyDeleteWhen I am in the right set of mind - meaning I am prepared to meet a crowd -, it's OK; I know I can't have the benefit of such events as this parade and have the place to myself at the same time :-)
DeleteI don't like crowds when they are getting too close, such as is sometimes the case at the train station, esepcially now that we're having yet another strike (the 9th in one year!).
A lovely post and great photos. Thank your mum from me, for sharing this fascinating day. And, I hope you get well soon, Meike.
ReplyDeleteThank you! My Mum will be reading the comments to this post, too, so she'll know that you like what she shared.
DeleteThanks to both of you for sharing the pictures and info from this parade! Well done Meike's Mum for managing to take the pictures, it's usually difficult on occasions like that to get close enough. And I hope you'll be feeling better soon, Meike. Pity you missed the parade, it looks like it was a fine day for it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Monica. Yes, it was a fine day; I missed out on a lot of gorgeous sunshine over the last week... but it can't be helped now and I'll just have to wait for next year's parade.
DeleteThanks to all of you for your kindly comments! In our daily newspaper they wrote, there have been more than 25 000 people watching the parade, going to the horses- and carriage-competition and prize giving ceremonies. Ther were also middle age knight games, and, last not least, the Krämermarkt. (market). Not only the kids went tot the funfair with merry-go-rounds and big beer-tent, like Oktoberfest.
ReplyDeleteIf you know, that Ludwigsburg has 91 000 inhabitants, you can imagine the crowd, you also could see them on the pictures.But everyone was in good mood, so it was not too bad.
3 days, and the weather was sunny and not too hot, the other years we often had rain and storms.
Well done to The Famous Meike Mum! A great set of parade pictures. And though your daughter's English is quite superb, you are not far behind! Please may we have a guest post from The Shy Meike Dad - even if it has to be translated?...Oh and Madam Ambassador, I hope you are feeling a lot better today (Thursday) and back in your favourite place - WORK!
ReplyDeleteHmmm... I actually never thought of asking my Dad to guest post, but then he's not a man of the pen (or the keyboard) really. He knows loads about nature and printing and history and many other things, so there could be some very interesting topics for him to write about, but I rather doubt he'll feel like it.
DeleteUnfortunately, the office has to cope yet another few days without me. I am still not much better and have decided (also on RJ's advice) to stay home the rest of the week.
I just asked my husband about a guest post from him. And- what a surprise- he will write one, that means tell me and I will translate, when he is back from a week of holiday on a Danish island called Bornholm. He is going there for a week , starting next monday. And of course he will bring some pretty fotos from the beautiful landscape up there.
DeleteYay!!! Mum and Dad, you are THE BEST! Ever!!
DeleteThank you - I honestly did not think he was going to do that :-)
Hurrah for The Meike Dad! Not so shy after all. I look forward to his Bornholm report.
DeleteSo do I! Bornholm is a great place, I've been on holidays there a few times myself (but not in a long time).
DeleteWell done, Meike’s mum.
ReplyDeleteI am totally envious of you and the life lived in a pretty German town with all the old traditions still going on.
Gaststaetten, coffee shops, ice cream parlours, we have nothing like that here. Just pubs. Not the same. I remember well sitting outdoors in Strassencafes, recovering from the Strapazen and watching the world go by.
I really must come to Germany again.
Hi Friko, yes, you should come for a visit to good old Germany! We do love our town, it has quite the right size, not too big and not too small, we can get everything here, we need, and what we can't get, we don't need...
DeleteSorry Meike, I forgot to wish you Gute Besserung!
ReplyDeleteVielen Dank, Ursula! I'm better now; yesterday, I was not only able to give my flat its usual Saturday cleaning but even went with my Mum to the International Street Music Festival held in the palace grounds.
DeleteMeike (I don't think I knew your name before now, how is that possible?!) I am sorry you have been so ill and I really hope you are feeling better now. Meike's mum: thank you for sharing your day out with us, your English is really very good indeed. xx
ReplyDeleteThanks, Gillian! I am feeling better now, even been out on Saturday, and will go back to the office tomorrow. Today is a bank holiday here anyway, which suits me just fine, so that I have one more day to get back on track. Still not feeling 100 % but maybe 85 or 90.
DeleteYour mother is clever and talented and kind! I am sure she is looking after you amazingly well too. I hope you are better soon, Meike.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jenny - I already am much better and have been back to work this week. Not quite 100 % there yet in terms of health, but definitely getting there.
Delete