Travel-scapes... Beware! Black cats crossing

The rain in Spain doesn't fall mainly on the plain...it apparently falls non-stop in Germany when Thing #2 and moi are there!  There IS a positive tho, it forced us to learn strategic photo taking skills.   Afterall, there's a fine art to balancing an umbrella and eating a Brat in one hand, while clicking away on your camera with the other.  The problem lies in trying to down a German beer at the same time...which will require another trip to Germany to perfect the technique!  This kind of multi-tasking I like.  We also found that we could survive two weeks together without any serious bodily or lasting emotional damage to each other. Which also taught us to never underestimate the magical powers of German beers and Rieslings!

Zeller Schwarze Katz (Zell Black Cats)

Zell, Germany

One of our stops was the village of Zell, Germany along the Moselle River.  Zell achieved local wine immortality when three wine merchants were negotiating to purchase the town's best wine at a local winery.  The winery's black cat, without prompting, leaped atop a wine cask, spitting and hissing at all who approached.  The wine merchants had found their wine and it made them immensely wealthy.  Today Zeller Schwarze Katz (Zell's Black Cat) is one of the region's top-selling Rieslings.

Everywhere you look in the town of Zell, black cats look back at you.  Statues, signage, wine labels, restaurant and store names.  Sort of Zell's smaller equivalent to Budweiser in St. Louis, and Guiness in Dublin.  But cutest of all are the town's "Zeller Schwarze Katz", a group of little girls dressed as black cats who sing a welcoming song upon arrival at local wine events.  I came upon these little cats as they prepared to perform and the leader was busy shooshing them all together in an attempt to organize.   Apparently little girls all over the world are the same....they are easily distracted by the allure of having their photo taken.  Definetly a black cat I didn't mind crossing my path.

--Kathy