Greetings from the Kitchener-Waterloo region of Ontario! As the semester begins, I've been thinking about
Don Quixote and our reading group, and eagerly awaiting what Aimee and Aaron have in store for you this year. I should say "us," as I plan to follow along in the blog.
Here's some of what I have been up to this summer. For my birthday in August, I went to the
Minnesota Renaissance Festival. My first Renaissance festival experience was about a year ago, Labor Day weekend, again at the Minnesota festival. It was pirate weekend, and as you can see from the photo, I dressed up!
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| Me at the 2015 Minnesota Renaissance Festival. |
The festival is modeled (though I won't speak to its accuracy) after a
sixteenth century village. Well, a village with dragons and faeries as well as knights, ladies, and jesters. I imagine it to be the kind of place Don Quixote being quite at home. Sancho as well--perhaps some roasted corn? No mere lentils here! This year I fancied my costume after how Teresa Panza might dress. The week before the festival, Patrick and I received some lessons in sword fighting using wooden/padded training swords. Mostly we ran drills, but even in drills I performed poorly. For some reason whenever I saw the sword being swung down at me, instead of blocking with my sword I turned away and shielded my face with my arms. There might have been some shrieking as well.
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| Me at the 2016 festival, with my partner, Patrick. |
Needless to say, when I attend the
Royal Medieval Faire in Waterloo in September, I don't think I'll dress like Don Quixote. Perhaps I'll go as Sancho Panza. At least I know I can "be in character" by eating too much!
