Medieval Times!

We had an absolutely enchanting experience last night! We got to the "castle" and checked in, and then waited in line to enter. As we were waiting for dh to come back from parking the car, we saw the "Sold Out" sign go up in the ticket window. I had a feeling it was going to be a good performance.

As soon as you walk through the castle's entrance, you are taken back in time into another world. You receive a crown to cheer for your knight..... which is from your area of the country. But they don't just hand you the crown, and usher you over for a picture. No it's "My Lord, your crown, My Lady your crown, please step forward." We milled in the courtyard, filled with many tempting shops... ie: souvenirs. If young children were in your company....you were lucky to get out with your life! We did end up getting two swords, for the boys, and my husband bought me a lighted rose, just for chivalry.... (and because he is impulsive). LOL! The master of ceremonies announced that we may enter the banquet hall, and called us to enter by the color of our crowns. Each color represented a knight, who as I mentioned before, we were to cheer for. The colors of each knight were green, blue, red, yellow, black and white, and red and yellow. Our knight was the red and yellow knight and we were located in the middle of the banquet hall.

The banquet hall was set up as an arena, and I truly don't believe there was a bad seat in the house. You sat at long banquet tables with chairs facing out to the middle of the sand covered center, so that you could view all the action. We met our serving "wench", otherwise known as waitress, and the evening began. While the knights were being introduced, our first course was vegetable soup served with a piece of garlic bread. No utensils in the house...this is the middle ages, and you eat with your hands. Soup was in a pewter bowl with a handle, and you drank it. My boys were sooo funny...they must have been starved, as I chuckled so much as they proclaimed "This is the best soup ever...... Mom you gotta make this soup!" lol!

Throughout the entire dinner there was some type of entertainment going on. A horse trainer, taking his horse through fancy moves...a falconer with it's falcon flying overhead, knights on horses etc. The dinner was served piece meal, the next course was a chicken. Delicious. We had to help pull it apart for the boys or they never would have eaten...they were so intent on the entertainment. Next a spare rib and a potato...all eaten of course with our hands. Messy for sure, but when in Rome....or the Middle Ages.... well you know..... Again my boys could not help proclaiming this was the best dinner ever! (Makes a mom think after the fact, geez what am I feeding them? Oh yeah, Hamburger Helper. The castle wins hands down on that one. lol.)

The jousting and sword fights happened sometime in the middle of the feast. I wish I could have captured the faces of my two young sons! Eyes wide as saucers.... cheering our knight to victory! The banquet hall was filled with noise as each group cheered and yelled! When at one point our knight fell to the ground, injured by a blow from his opponent, ds2 yelled "Get up! Get up!" He was so "into it"!! Lol! Our knight was not the winner in the end.... the victory deservedly went to the blue knight that day. As our serving waitress (I really hate to call her a wench) was removing our dinner, she asked ds2 if he was finished. Always my exuberant over the top child, he said patting his tummy, "Oh yes, I think after this I am so full!" She laughed as she took his plate, and then he said to her, "And thank you for this wonderful dinner!" Which brought a look of surprise to her face! (Makes a mom proud!)

In the final battle, between the rogue red knight and the blue knight, they brought out coffee and dessert. Dessert was an apple pastry..... A couple next to us who was enjoying some cake for a birthday, offered a piece to the boys. Could the evening get any better? Ds1 who is my sweet child, (as in would never pass up a sweet treat), thanked her profusely and wished her a happy birthday! lol! We ended the evening with a finale cheering all the knights and their squires. Dh said, it was an awesome evening, one he enjoyed as much as the boys! Ds1 said, That was AWESOME! I thought I was going to be bored!! lol! I laughed thinking how anyone could be bored during that evening of entertainment. All in all a fantastic time! Just watching my son's eyes shine in wonder was worth every penny!