Bernkastel-Kues Wine Festival 2009

Saturday was our very last Bernkastel-Kues Wine Festival in Germany. It's my very favorite of all the festivals out here, just because I adore Bernkastel! I love the feeling I get there. It's the cutest little old village in our entire area. We don't drink wine, obviously, but there are shops everywhere, a carnival, & snacks that are to die for!

We parked the car & walked into the village. Everywhere we went we heard "Fier Kinder!" (Four Kids) It's so strange to people out here to have more than one kid. We walked across the bridge & found the carnival. We told the kids they could ride one ride & have one treat (our usual festival promise). They wanted to go into the fun house & they wanted me to go with them. I think I would have rather had Trek take them, but they begged for me so I went. Talk about the single most humiliating moment of my entire life. The very first thing you do is go up this super fast conveyor belt & you're not allowed to go up alone whether you're an adult or not. You are required to hold on to one of the worker's hands so he can help you up so you don't get hurt. Well . . . I got hurt! The guy thought it would be funny to put on a show for the crowd below by using me as a puppet on the conveyor belt. He kicked my legs out from under me & my feet flew up the conveyor belt as he dipped me into a very low dip. He did this several times while laughter erupted from the crowd below. Then he'd spin me around & my body was going backwards, but he had me in a death grip so that I was running backwards, yet holding on to him in a death grip. Everybody was laughing SO hard. The conveyor belt made welts on my feet that bled & I was SO embarrassed, but at least a lot of people got a good laugh out of it. At least I could make somebody laugh.

(Here is the guy dipping me on that conveyor belt for everyone to see. . .I had quite the crowd)

(This is when he had me running backwards.)

Inside the fun house was even worse. There was a rotating tunnel that Cadence & I got through okay, but Lorien tried it & she fell (of course) & couldn't get back up. I had to work my way back through the tunnel to get here on her feet again, but I couldn't carry her & walk with the rotation at the same time. We were both falling flat on our faces! I got up myself, but didn't know what to do about Lorien. We were spinning in there for a good 10 minutes before I asked a boy in German if he could pick her up & carry her through the tunnel. He laughed & carried her with ease through. Thank heavens. I ended up having to carry her through the rest of the fun house because she was crying hysterically. Cadence & I couldn't stop laughing because the rest of the fun house was a blast, but Lorien had her eyes shut & was screaming the entire time.

After the fun house of embarrassment we found a candy vendor; talk about heaven for the girls. They each got a bag & filled it with an assortment of yummy goodies. All three of them enjoyed that.

Then we let Taya ride her ride. . . a little airplane with daddy. However, I think she enjoyed her cola flavored gummy candy more than the ride. She was sucking on it the entire time.

And then it was time to go. Trek & I got crepes on our way out. I got cherry & nutella & he got marzipan & nutella. Both were fantastic. It was sad saying goodbye on this one. It's the last festival of the year & will be our last festival in Germany. Lots of memories for sure!