Rest Day in Unlingen: We go to a festival (pharrhoffest) for the new kindergarten

September 9, 2012

We were both feeling like we needed a rest day. Our last day was quite a while ago in Dijon. I wasn't feeling very well, so Mary Ellen went for a walk after breakfast. She discovered after talking to a young man that today was the annual church festival that honored kindergarten children. It was going to be a very special festival this year because it was the opening of the brand new kindergarten school building.

Our guesthouse in Unlingen - home away from home.

A blacksmith's shop - sign painted on the wall

The freshly painted sign on the wall of the newly opened Kindergarten - Unlingen.

A view of the centre of the village - church, rathaus (town hall) with stork nest on top, the kindergarten.

The festival is set up and ready to go - before church got out.

A war memorial for the village's casualties during the war.

Shrine carved into the limestone wall of the church.

Another painting on a business - this one is for a physiotherapist -don't know what it says....

The special church service honouring the kindergarten kids - it was an enjoyable and light service with lots of involvelement by the kids and special music accompanied by flute.

What's a German church festival without beer?

......and cake (and there were dozens of them). When I was out for my walk, I saw many moms with their young children rushing to church with their tupperware containers of cake.

The focus of the day was truly on the kids. There were many games and activities set up for the kids.

The object of this was to squirt water and knock off the ping pong balls.

In Canada, we have egg and spoon races, but in Germany, potato and spoon races.

It was open house at the new Kindergarten. Here the 3-6 year old kids go to school from 7-4 (some till noon). They had a nicely appointed lunch room.

Barry really enjoyed meeting this teacher, Anja who co taught one of the classes. It was interesting for them to talk and share their experiences as teachers in different countries.

Amazing bathrooms - and they are so size appropriate

The nap room must be well used in their long day.

We really enjoyed our visit here - such a fun day and insight into the life of the village.

This fellow was the hardest working guy at the fest - 100's of beer bottles poured.

Everybody was there from the village and surrounding area. Many had come back to see the new school.

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