Today was the town shooting festival! We woke up to fresh bread rolls and honey, kindly left by the tent by Iris – delicious! Then we had a lazy morning around the hotel enjoying a cup of tea and skyping our families.

Then it was time to head into the village. We had heard that things kicked off in town around midday, but when we got there at 12:30, there was nothing really going on. We asked someone what was happening and he said it’s all over already! Such German efficiency! But the festivities continue in the hall up the road, so off we went to the hall.

When we got there, there was a large group of people in uniform standing in rows listening to someone talking. Then the band among them played whilst the people in their fine regalia marched down towards the hall past us.

Parade of fancy dresses and uniform

More parading – with flags!

The highlight of the festival is that there’s a carved wooden eagle wearing a crown and holding a sceptre. The eagle gets shot down over the course of the evening – anyone can buy a shooting ticket and take a shot at it. When it eventually comes down (after hundreds and hundreds of tiny shots into the dense wood!), the person who took the last shot is the king of the hunters!

Wooden eagle with crown and sceptre

We chatted and drank beers in the sun for a few hours whilst the shooting got started. It was a lovely atmosphere with everyone milling around in their fancy outfits catching up with their village friends. There were bands playing and the beer was flowing!

In the late afternoon we decided to head off and get some chores done before we have to leave tomorrow morning. After shopping and laundry, we had a tasty dinner and headed for an early night with the sound of a nearby party going on in the background.

– Anna