Send?

Münster Send

"What in the world is Send?", you might ask. A few weeks ago we saw a banner advertising some sort of goings on near the Schloß (castle) called Send. It was labeled as a Folksfest of some sort, but we really had no idea what it was. 

The first Send occurred in the 9th century and was really just bi-annual (Spring and Fall)  meetings for religious leaders. In the 11th century a special farmer's market followed the meetings. A third fest, in the Summer, began in the 19th century.

Now, three times a year over a million visitors come to Münster to ride the newest attractions and to enjoy the fest food. Most of the food was the same as what we saw at the Weihnnachtsmarkt, but there was one new surprise (read further to see)!

For the entire week before the start of Send, Hindenburgplatz (an open area in front of the Schloß) was all abustle with activity. Booths were constructed, bike ways were closed off, and row after row of attractions and rides were built.

A minor illness struck one of our kids, so our excursion was postponed till one of the last days. This turned out to be in our favor as the previous days had been warm (relatively) and sunny, but the day we went was cool and rainy. The Münsterlich weather kept many people home, making the fest not nearly as crowded as it could have been.

One of the first booths we saw sold Oma's Gurken ( pickles)!

Similar to Oktoberfest, Bier is a regular and important part of the festive atmosphere. Check out these suspenders!

Many of the booths had candy and chocolate covered fruit. This particular booth decoration must the the source of many childhood clown nightmares. This does not make me want to buy candy here.

Very often, we stumble upon "American" food stands.

The rides were decorated to draw in the crowds.

This pirate themed fun house was a huge draw for the kids.

Spice booths were also pretty popular. I have noticed that most of the grocery stores carry a very limited variety of spices. Spice booths like this one are very popular at fests as well as the Wochenende Markts.

Not long after arriving at Send, we ran into the family of one of our younger son's classmates. The boys rode a few rides together. This swing ride was a comfortable alternative to the 45 meter high, twirling, swinging ride the boys wanted to ride, but were not tall enough for (to their mothers' relief).

A hot Nutella crepe really hit the spot.

Explaining centrifugal force was fun.

The Geisterbahn caused a little angst, but (allegedly) turned out only to be amusing.

We let the boys ride a few rides on their own, but we all rode the Ferris Wheel together. At 55 meters (180.5 feet) high, we saw well past the boundaries of Münster in every direction. The Send filled the entire area in front of the Schloß.

As we headed home, we picked up one last treat, the 1/2 meter Wurst. For about $4, this lovely beast comes with a fresh brötchen and all the ketchup and mustard you can stand. Notice the lame attempt to make the brötchen look less ridiculously small by folding one end over. These Germans really like their meat (ha ha). Between the four of us this bad boy didn't stand a chance!

The next Send is Sommersend at the end of June. I can't wait to see what new treats we will discover there!

The next few weeks are our Easter Holidays. We have a few short trips planned to Hannover, Hamburg and Berlin.