My brother Tom spent the morning merging errand-running for wedding preparations and sightseeing for us. We walked the cobbled main street of Ebermannstadt, learning that the first public documents of the town were recorded in the 1100’s. It probably existed well before that time. The River Wisent flows through the village.

Tom took us (John, nephew David, and me) to Castle Greifenstein in nearby Heilegenstadt. In the words of our guide, it was built circa 1160 as “a fortress for defense and later converted into a castle for display.”

The exterior didn’t seem too spectacular, but the interior was amazing. An inner courtyard has been used as a movie set, and the weapons collection, torture instruments, antique furniture, old books, and archaic paintings took me right back to the Middle Ages. The water well is quite deep–almost 90 meters until the water level begins!

We spent a bit of time in the afternoon assisting with church set-up and flower decorations.

On the way back to the house, John drove while Tom directed us through his memory lane of various houses and work places of his past. One of his former homes was just around the bend from Castle Egloffstein, perched on a mountaintop with many restored, Elizabethan-era homes in the Egloffstein village below the castle.

All four of my nieces finally arrived, and we were able to enjoy one of my sister-in-law’s specialties, onion pie, served with a light, white wine.

We ended the evening with me putting on the wrong left shoe and not realizing it until I walked out the door, having to sheepishly return when I noticed my two feet felt vastly different. I’m glad I can provide some comic relief during busy times.

The wedding is tomorrow!