This past weekend I went with some friends to a pumpkin fest in a town near Stuttgart. Every year they have a theme and this year the theme was every Swiss... it was a really great time. They also had lots of yummy pumpkin food and I was in HEAVEN! :) 


Ludwigsburg is about 20 minutes north of Stuttgart and about 2 1/2 hrs from Graf/Vilseck area.  This fest happens for quite a long time each fall (which makes sense because it would take sooo long to set up all the displays with the pumpkins). 

The fest is on the grounds of Bluhendes Barock -one of Europe's largest baroque residences and surrounded by splendid gardens.  There's so much to walk around and see. 

a swiss cow

lovely pumpkin colors!

William Tell

love all the fun designs they made

 Pumpkin champagne! I always stock up for the year :)
 This fest goes on for a long time and there are events that occur all throughout the months.  We went on the last weekend and were able to see the HUGE pumpkins being smashed open and cut up.
 I never actually realized there were so many different types of pumpkins and squash! This display goes on and on around the building.
 Enjoying the sunshine and pumpkin treats :)
 This is maltashen, a regional meal,  (which is like a huge ravioli) in pumpkin soup and of course topped with pumpkin seeds and pumpkin oil.
 The whole park is pretty cool- there's a great area for kids with rides- trains and slides and animals (I didn't take really any pictures in that part). This display has Rupenzel's castle in the background.

Dinant, Belgium

We stopped by this lovely little town on the way home from Brussels.  We visited the Citadel at the top and saw an interesting display of Disney sand creatures inside.... very random! It is also the town that the guy who invented saxophones is from so there was a cool display around the bridge.

Germany has been crazily lacking in snow this winter.  Laura's whole visit in December produced hardly any snow and even through January, it might snow for a few hours and then it all melts.  I've been able to get out and walk a little bit more this winter because it's so much easier without all the snow.  It has been super cold though and still dreary as ever though :(