Wedding pictures! 07/08/09

On August 7 of 2009 Andrea and Andrew had their wedding at an historic location in the centre of Leipzig. There are several traditions that are unique to Germany and are quite different from Canada so it was interesting.
Andrea's brother was the chauffeur of the wedding car and wore a silk top hat. Andrew and I wore the working MacLeod tartan and John wore a dress Wallace tartan. The bride borrowed the veil that Ruth had handmade over 38 years ago. Ruth's sister Joan used it; then Marj MacLeod used it; then Angela Baggett, Jennifer Wallace, and now Andrea MacLeod have all used it.
When Imogen saw the two effigies made of straw on the doorstep, she immediately said, "Auntie, Uncle." The car decorations are held on with suction cups and the cars form a procession with a white ribbon tied on each car's antenna.

The little boy beside Imogen sitting on the grass is called Moritz and he is only one month apart from Imogen.

When we arrived at the restaurant for the reception, there was a tray with a goblet of water, a piece of bread and some salt on it. When Andrea and Andrew arrived a restaurant worker presented them the tray and gave a short speech on the significance of the three elements: The bread was to wish them prosperity so they would always have enough to eat; the salt was to represent the spice of life; and the water was to represent life itself. So Andrew put the salt on the bread and they each took a bite and sipped some 0f the water.

Next they were given a saw and had to cooperate in sawing a log in half. Andrea's mom and dad (Madeleine and Werner Hermann) steadied the log while Andrea and Andrew cut it in half.

It was a memorable occasion and one of the relatives even hired three pipers for the reception.

From Salzburg to Prague to Leipzig

Before we entered Austria we stopped at an Asian restaurant and they had a butterfly carved from a beet on the top of the dish. Just before we left Salzburg we went on a Luge ride down the side of a mountain. Ruth and I got to hold hands at a castle overlooking Prague and Imogen managed to pose in front of a display that was inside a 400 year old building that now houses a restaurant that we had a meal back in Leipzig.

In Salzburg, Austria

The picture taken near Salzburg at a lake called "Wolfgang" where Wolfgang Amedaus Mozart's mother was from. She probably named her son after the lake. We were on a tour bus that took us to various sites where "The Sound of Music" movie was filmed.

The gazebo that the oldest daughter in "The Sound of Music" sang "I am 16 going on 17" in the movie.

The garden where the children sang in the park with all of us in it.

Sunday we found a church service

We found a church service to attend in nearby Lorient. There were 23 people in attendance and it was all in French. The text was from Hebrews 13 so I was able to follow the sermon a bit.



Imogen loves to smell the flowers even if they have no odor or if they smell bad. The roses did smell good though.

For those who don't know the significance of the previous post: July 24 was Ruth and my 38th wedding anniversary. We ate a meal at the "Au Jardin des Sens" in Hennebont from 8:00 till 11:30: it was a four course meal and was wonderful. Of course we weren't wearing the outfits that are shown in the picture.

We were in Quiberon for July 24 but we went back to Hennebont

Imogen really likes to play in the sand and she likes to pose for pictures too. On the drive back to Hennebont we saw some wood sculpted by the ocean and stopped for pictures. The picture of Jennifer and John is on the "Cote Sauvage."

Marie-Helene Lanoe, Ruth, John, Jennifer, Imogen, and Ian at the house before we left for the parade. The nest picture is at the end of the parade.

In Hennebont, France

We went for a walk in the park and we found a knot in a tree that was large enough for Imogen to sit in.

Ruth is standing next to a stand of bamboo grass. Who would believe that they have tropical things like bamboo, palm trees and banana plants in France? North of here we were at Claire's home and they had a banana plant growing in the yard near Lannion which is near the north coast of France.

It is Jennifer and John's Wedding Anniversary Today.

Jenn and John were married July 17, 2004 so it is their 5th wedding anniversary today. And they are in Paris. Good thing that they brought their parents along to babysit Imogen while they go out for supper. How is that for romanitic?

We arrived safely.

We traveled all day on Monday and made it to Leipzig the next day on Tuesday July 14 Andrea took us to the Monument of the Battle of Nations which celebrated the defeat of Napoleon at Leipzig. It is an amazing structure completed on May 13, 1912. The picture of Imogen in the window at Madeline Hermann's kitchen in Leipzig.

Nostalgia

I gave this cartoon to Ruth about 25 years ago and she saved it. I need to send it to Angela but just change the name.

A Yellow Rose of Cactus

Our cactus plant has finally bloomed.