4 Stray Katz: The Katz reunite.

We arrived at Hans and Elisabeth's house in Stommeln about an hour before the Katz Family Reunion was scheduled to begin and preparations were in fully swing. Both of their daughters, Gondula and Dorethea, were there with their families, who were all busy preparing food and organising drinks for the 30 people who were expected. By 11.30 we were drinking champagne and chatting with many of Daniel's German relatives, quite a lot of whom he had never met. Henry was visibly pleased to show off some of his grandchildren to his brothers, his cousin and their families. Many had travelled from afar, up to 6 hours away. We had a wonderful afternoon of fabulous food (so much of it too), great wine and lots of interesting conversation. Everyone spoke English quite well so we managed to converse easily. The kids were kept entertained by the extensive train set Hans has set up. Daniel's cousins' children (who are all in late teens, early 20's) spent hours showing them how the intricate system ran. We all collapsed into bed with very full tummies excited for the next day when we were being taken to an outdoor theatre to watch Cinderella.

We had a huge champagne breakfast the next morning with Henry's brother Fredrich and his wife who were unable to attend the previous day's celebration. The afternoon was spent at Zoln, an historic town near Stommeln, that runs outdoor theatre performances in the summer. After wandering around town with ice-cream we settled in for the show. It didn't matter that the show was in German, the elaborate costumes and great acting made it easy for us to understand this well known story. We were all thoroughly entertained and the kids were so excited to get a photo with Cinderella and the prince at the end of the show. Attending this theatre is a family tradition for Hans and Elisabeth and after the show they always go to the nearby Rhine River to skim stones. It was a lovely way to end a great day.

The next morning the kids fed the deer again (their neighbour has deer in his backyard), picked blackberries and enjoyed playing in the gardens before we had to say goodbye.

It was sad watching Henry farewell Hans and Elisabeth, being unsure when he will see them again. We had a wonderful time and we are so grateful to everyone for making such an effort. Once again, we were thoroughly looked after by Daniel's relatives and we hope we can repay the favour if they ever travel to Australia (we encouraged Daniel's cousins children to come when they finish their studies so hopefully they do).

A big drive next to Wurzburg for our last 4 days with Henry.