In Colmar, France

The second day after the Polterabend we went with Eny’s mom, Gudrun, to Colmar, France. It is about an hour drive from Lörrach, where we stayed with Sven and Eny.

Colmar is a city with many buildings which are many years old. The city is in a region of France called Alsace. This region has a very interesting history. The people in this area were an independent state for some time, though in more recent history they have moved between being a part of France and a part of Germany several times, especially during the two World Wars. So these areas have a mixture of both French and German culture, though we are told that the rest of France does not consider the people of this region as really being French, and the Germans don't consider them as being really German. We found the combined mixture of the two cultures to be quite nice.

This one here says it was originally built in 1383.

Colmar is a very quaint, picturesque, and beautiful town to walk around in. There is a section called Little Venice, because of some canals.

While here we learned that it is famous for having storks. On top of one of the churches there is a big stork nest with several storks in it. So it ended up being perfect for us to be here while Rebecca is pregnant. We even purchased a French baby toy called a dou-dou, which we had read about in a book about an American woman having a baby in France. The dou-dou we picked is a stork! Eny, who is a midwife, later told us that sometimes when a labor is going on awhile, they tell the parents to put sugar out on the window to attract the stork to come more quickly.

Stuffed Storks on the side of a building

Stork Nest on top of a church building

Church that had the stork nest

Fake stork nest above the door

Once in the city, I was quite hungry and wanted to get a little snack from a bakery with both French and German foods. I got a sandwich and a dessert here. There were many choices that looked quite good.

This city was very enjoyable and relaxing to walk around. The beauty and quaint atmosphere made it one of Rebecca's favorite parts of our trip.

Where's Ilya? Can you see him?

Before leaving, we stopped at a creperie where we enjoyed some delicious dinner crepes and a dessert crepe. They had outside seating where the atmosphere was very nice, and was added to by a man playing an accordion not too far off.

Rebecca in front of the creperie

Ilya at lunch

Gudrun and Rebecca at lunch

We had a wonderfully peaceful day in Colmar to both of our delights.

After Colmar we met up with Sven and Eny, and a few others for dancing lessons they were doing to prepare for their wedding dance. Then we ended the night with some pizza at an Italian restaurant.

Michele and Thomas (Friends of SvEny's and now our friends too!)

Sven and Eny

A Very Rainy Polterabend

We started off the day at Sven’s family’s house. We met his mother there. His father was baking bread for the Polterabend, in his basement. Here I also was lent a Lederhosen to wear for the Polterabend by Sven’s father. He sells them on the side. Normally only the bride and groom will wear the Lederhosen and Dirndl, but they let me wear one too since I was a special guest. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any maternity Dirndl for Rebecca!

Bread for the Polterabend

Sven's father, Albert, and Sven

Getting help trying on the Ledelhosen

German Ilya

After visiting Sven’s family in Zell, we headed to Endenburgh for the Polterabend. Polterabend is the term for a German pre-wedding custom in which the guests gather to break porcelain to bring luck to the couple's marriage. The word "Polterabend" comes from German verb “poltern” (making a lot of noise) + noun “abend” (evening).

The Polterabend normally takes place in front of the house of the bride or that of her parents. The couple generally announces the occasion but does not specifically send out individual invitations. Word spreads via word of mouth, and those with a desire to show up may do so. Many couples use this as a way of including people whom they are not able to invite to the wedding itself. Something to eat and/or drink is arranged (either provided for or requested of the guests). Often times guests will bring their gifts to the Polterabend. The actual high point of the custom is the throwing onto the ground of porcelain that has been brought. However, stoneware, flowerpots or ceramics such as tiles, sinks and toilet bowls are also happily thrown items. Metal objects such as tin cans and bottle tops are brought along to the festivities. Forbidden are glasses (glass stands for happiness that should not be broken) and especially mirrors (as a broken mirror will bring seven years of bad luck). The couple must thereafter take care of cleaning up the pile of shards. This is supposed to make the couple aware that it will have to work together through difficult conditions and situations in life.

The first part of the Polterabend for Sven and Eny was in the rain, right outside Eny’s mom’s house. Here is where the smashing of porcelain plates, cups, bowls, and even a sink occurred. It was fun and interesting to observe this tradition, and most of the people there didn’t seem to know exactly how the tradition came about. Many guests seemed surprised to hear that we don’t have the same tradition in the U.S. Many objects were smashed and eventually, Sven and Eny were getting tired and unhappy with how long it was taking and how much sweeping up they had to do. With several hundred guests, there were many broken shards to clean. Finally it ended after they had me announce in German, “Shit! That is enough! Let’s go eat already!” After this, everyone headed to the tent with the food and beers.

Sven and Eny are cleaning up the dishes

A lot more dishes came even after this!

While many of the people did not speak English, there were plenty who did that we were able to communicate with. Rebecca was even able to speak French with one person. The food was very good; it was basically a big German potluck. While we ate, we conversed with Sven’s sister, Samantha, and her boyfriend, Martin. They both spoke English well, and our conversation with them was very nice. After the food, a large band, which Sven was a part of, played some German music.

The two plates on the right were Ilya's

The party was complete with music and dancing. Outside, it was raining heavily (we later learned that there was severe flooding in other parts of Germany) and it became quite muddy, but somehow it seemed to contribute to the festivity of the event. There were burning logs set up to direct guests through the rain to the bathrooms.

Sven has been a member of a “carnival group” from his hometown of Zell for a number of years. This group has been around for generations and always consists of 11 single men who basically party together during local carnivals, wearing traditional masks and costumes and drinking lots of beer. We learned that Sven’s marriage represents the end of his membership in this group, as its members must be unmarried. In commemoration of the occasion, the other 10 group members burned a life-sized, scarecrow-like version of Sven at the stake. It was quite the spectacle since they kept it burning with gasoline and had planted fireworks within it!

Sven's group getting ready to burn his effigy

Burning of "Sven"

Burning of "Sven"

Sven and Eny singing with his group

Sven playing the drum

Sven playing drum, Ilya playing tambourine

The party, which began at 6 p.m., lasted until after 5 a.m. and was a great time for all who attended.

Taking away over 700 bottles the next morning

Helping set up for Polterabend

Being extra tired from the travels, jet lag, and lack of sleep on the plane, we went to bed extra early. The next morning Rebecca woke up at what she thought was 7:30 in the morning because of the clock in the bathroom. After getting ready she woke me up at what that same clock said as 8:30 in the morning. So I got up and got ready as well. When I was in the shower, Rebecca went into the living room where she saw another clock which said 5:30 in the morning. The clock in the bathroom was three hours fast! This explained why Sven, who is normally up early, was still sleeping. So we were up and about extra early, though we didn't much feel tired, so it wasn't so bad. Rebecca later took a nap that day, so all worked out well.

After eating breakfast, Sven's father, Albert, and brother, Manuel, met us and we travelled together to Endenburg, a small town which is a part of Steinen, Germany. This is where Eny's mother, Gudrun, and brother, Jan (pronounced Yawn), live.

The house in Endenburg

Eny's Mother, Gudrun

A View from the house

Once we arrived in Endenburg, we met Gudrun again (we met her in our last trip), and we met Eny's brother Jan for the first time. Then we started helping set up for Polterabend. Polterabend is a German tradition that takes place prior to the wedding. Lot's of friends and family are invited to smash porcelain dishes on the ground outside. The bride and groom have to clean up all of the mess. I don't fully understand it. After the smashing of the dishes, there is a big party with lot's of German food and beer.

I am hard at working supervising =)

Eny and her mom setting up the room for food

Rebecca helping set up the room for food

Sven and his brother hard at work

The beer and other drinks were brought in by a tractor from the neighbour who sells them

Drinks for the party, there were over 700 beers

Rebecca helping roll plastic silverware

Camouflage urinal

Camouflage urinal

Because it was supposed to rain during the party, they wanted to put a roof over the men's urinal. I half jokingly suggested that they use the crane to lift some metal bins overhead as a roof. They liked this idea and put it into action. The crane is Jan's, he uses it to work on the house.

Signs to the men's Camouflage urinal. The yellow one says detour

Eating some cake after working

Off to Germany for our friends' wedding

We have arrived at Basel Airport. Basel is a city in the north west of Switzerland, though the airport is technically in France. Our friend Sven picked us up from the airport and in getting back to where he lives, we have left France through Switzerland and into Germany, all in 20 minutes!

Arriving at their apartment in Lörrach, Germany, we were welcomed by our friend Eny who was graciously cooking dinner for us all.

Eny cooking dinner

Sven setting the table

Our room