Friday, March 13, 2009

Show & Tell Friday!

Welcome to “Show and Tell Friday!” Do you have something special to share with us? It could be a trinket from grade school, a piece of jewellery, or a treasured collection. Look around your closet if you have to share! Share photos and the story that goes with your special item. To find some more interesting “Show and Tell” stories, visit http://www.kellishouse.blogspot.com/

I love travelling! Perhaps is was because I started at such a late stage in my life! One of my favourite visits to Europe had to be when we visited the “Schwarzwald” (the Black Forest) in Germany! We visited there in the summer and the beauty of the highlands and the woods was unbelievable. I remember sitting in a little restaurant on our first night there, calling my Mum and telling her that I could just imagine Hansel & Gretel running through the trees!

We were tired and hungry when we arrived in a little village called St Peter! Philip went into this little hotel right on the church square. They had available rooms and were we delighted to walk up the little wooden stairs, into the prettiest room? With snow while linen, fluffy down duvets and pillows – looked like big marshmallows and JUST as yummy! We had our own bathroom, with a bath!! We had become rather tired of showers! Such wonderful memories!

The black forest is not only well known for its tasty cherry schnapps and black forest cake … it is also known for the traditional cuckoo-clock!
It is not clear who built the first cuckoo clock in the Black Forest, but it is known that they were created between 1740 and 1750. Only genuine wood, linden and pine are used. They were hand carved, sometimes with such intricate patterns.


Philip and I went into DOZENS of cuckoo clock shops trying to find the right one to buy, (and one that fitted our budget) – they were NOT cheap!
I can remember the sound of all the pendulums swinging and the cuckoos singing - all at the same time in this little shop!

We wanted an original design – not one with beer drinkers, or loads of animals dancing and moving and definitely not one made with a plastic cover. After much patience, we found our little clock! It has a little deer and tiny bunny which move when the cuckoo sings! For 9 years it has hung in our dining room, lovingly wound each morning! The sound of the cuckoo is a signature of our home! It is NOT adored by our sleep over visitors as it keeps them up at night! We’re so used to it now, that we don’t even hear it!
I love how the pendulum swings back and forth!
"Cuckoo, Cuckoo!"

An interesting fact - the cuckoo clock was invented in the Black Forest.  It is often WRONGLY associated with Switzerland probably due to a story by Mark Twain in which the hero depicts the Swiss town of Lucerne as the home of the cuckoo clock, when in fact it was Schonwald, Germany!

24 comments:

Firefly the Travel Guy said...

My inlaws are nuts about cuckoos and have about 5 or 6 hanging in their lounge. A couple of years ago I bought one on an auction and my farther-in-law send it to the guy that maintains his. I love the sound of it in the lounge. My big problem though is that I forget to wind it up every day.

Janet said...

Hahaha! Welcome back! It's the first thing I do when I go to put the kettle on in the morning - wind the cuckoo!!

Anonymous said...

Hi Jan. I don't know if you remember the cuckoo that was in our dining room. My dad gave me the cuckoo when he sold the house. Very proud of my cuckoo. Enjoy your weekend.
Love Shelly

Hootin Anni said...

I've often thought having one clock from the Black Forest would be a treasure. And I see that, after viewing your beautiful choice, it'd be a hard choice between all of them and I'd bring home more than one.

Happy Show n Tell day. And, thanks for stopping by for a visit with me.

Anonymous said...

I love those clocks, and yours is particular

Anonymous said...

Ah - those bring back memories for me. Ever since I can remember we had a cuckoo clock. After many many years it stopped working and my Mum and Dad brought another one back from a trip to Austria - that then hung in the lounge forever after that. I wondered what happened to it when we packed up my Mum's stuff - I was too emotional to think at the time - and when we visited my brother in England I saw it in his lounge. Family squabbles over treasured possessions are too awful but I would have LOVED the cuckoo!! I love the cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo's!!

Ceekay-THINKIN of HOME said...

Oh, I love this post. I am of German heritage and love cuckoo clocks. I finally got a little one, but German, a couple of years ago. How wonderful to see all the different ones.

Julie said...

My grandfather was born in the Black Forest area. I remember him telling us about the clock that he had. My maiden name is NUSSBAUM....it means nut tree in German..(I'm not sure I like that..:)..hehe..Have a great Friday

aspiritofsimplicity said...

What a great clock and a lovely story. It's nice that you have something to remember your time there with.

Pink Slippers said...

I would of loved to visit the clock stores too.

Susan said...

Interesting fact and lovely, special, beautiful clock.
Susan

Susan B said...

Beautiful clock! My mother had a cuckoo clock when I was growing up, she loved it. My youngest daughter was blessed to take a trip to Germany several years ago, and went to the Black Forest. Thank you for sharing, and for the interesting information. Thank you for visiting my blog.

The Old Parsonage said...

What a treasured trip and souvenier. I would love to have a cuckoo, but my husband barely tolerates our chiming mantel clock.

Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

You have a lovely clock. Thanks for sharing the history of it.

SmilingSally said...

I've been there too! Thanks for sharing and helping me remember. Happy Show and Tell Friday. Here's mine.
http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/

Susie Homemaker said...

Your clock is so nice...I love cuckoos!

Blessings,
Susie

Lisa Cobler said...

It sounds like a beautiful place to visit. Love the clock.

Linda C said...

Thanks for the trip around the world! Wow- all those cuckoo clocks in one place!

Linda C

Country Mouse, City Mouse said...

I love your cuckoo clock. My parents have one, and it has been around as long as I can remember. I know what you mean about not hearing it after a while. My kids love watching for it now!!

Judith said...

what a wonderful story and a great clock - my father in law has a cuckoo clock but it has mind of its own and pops out when it feels like it!! LOL

Kelli said...

What a beautiful clock...a wonderful treasure! I have always wanted one, maybe someday. :0)
~Kelli

Pam said...

How pretty!

Mark and I wanted and looked for the "right" one when we went to Europe in 1996 but never found it.

Good thing. Because I would never have been able to stand the sound of it. My in-laws had a chiming clock that always bothered me.

Even today when we visit my MIL, I despise that clock. They even gave us one of our own and I had to turn the chimer OFF!

But how nice for you to have something so pretty to remember your visit to the Black Forest!

David Richardson said...

First time visitor to your blog, and really enjoyed it!

Sounds like a wonderful trip to Germany. Glad you enjoyed it.

Have a great day! :)

joyh82 said...

I always wanted a cuckoo clock!
Great story too!