The last month has passed quickly. Already, everyone in town seems to know who we are, what we do, where we are... It's a small town, and word gets around FAST.
We were interviewed by the Rhein-Neckar Zeitung (the major newspaper of this region of Germany), the article (with a nice picture of all of us) came out at the end of May.
The Dilsbergers we have met are very nice, and extremely hospitable. We've been invited to many a dinner (they are also great cooks!) and have enjoyed their company and stories.
I'm composing and arranging music, and often improvising with Eman and Frances.
We watched the opening night of "Rose of Dilberg," a tragic play put on by the local Dilsberg theatre group. It was well-presented, and took place outdoors on the castle ruins in the evening. Lovely! Synopsis below.
Rose of Dilsberg (translated from German)
The scene of the action is set in Dilsberg Castle on Midsummer's Eve in the early twelfth century. Every year on Midsummer's Eve it is brought back to life from its twilight existence. The Count of Lauffen was preparing for the wedding of his daughter Rose. She had originally been engaged to Ulrich von Steinach (Neckarsteinach) at the tender age of ten, but it was only a marriage of expediency that had been arranged by the two fathers, to end their perpetual feuding. However, Ulrich von Steinach was presumed dead since having gone off to a Crusade. Rose grew into a beautiful young woman and fell in love with Wolf von Hirschhorn. As they were preparing for their wedding, the Count of Dilsberg was notified that an entourage of Steinach knights desired entry to Dilsberg Castle. The captain of the castle warned the Dilsberg count against the crafty and violent Landschad Pleikart von Steinach, Ulrich's father. However, in his celebratory mood, the Dilsberg count paid no heed to these warnings, and on the contrary hospitably welcomed his Steinach neighbor. Pleikart, the sly fox, who always took the greatest pleasure in making happy people cry and sad people laugh, used this opportunity to coax a promise from the Dilsberg count to give his daughter Rose to Ulrich von Steinach, if he should ever return from the realm of the dead. What the Dilsberg count thinks is a joke, turns out to be, quite literally, deadly serious. During the procession of the wedding party to the church, Ulrich von Steinach, who has returned from his journey and up to now has gone unrecognized, pulls up his visor and discloses his identity; he demands his bride back from Wolf von Hirschhorn. The Count of Dilsberg, trapped by his promise, must refuse to allow Rose to marry her beloved Wolf. As a result, Wolf challenges Ulrich to a duel. Wolf von Hirschhorn and Ulrich von Steinach do battle against each other; Wolf is mortally wounded and dies. In grief and despair Rosamunde throws herself from the parapet of the castle wall.
