August 19, 2006

World Equestrian Games Journals from Aachen
Mack's Musings
By Father Mack (a.k.a.: Father Larry David McCormick)
Photos by Ruth S. McCormick

“Enthusiasm Run Amok?”

Father Mack and Ruth Take a Walk Through Aachen Page 3

Hang in there, beloved lectors, we are entering the home stretch (should that read, “making a final trip down the centerline”?). Not each of us buys a brooch or a necklace every week (if you are the exception to the rule I have offered here, I am willing to incorporate as a tax free charity and will be happy to enjoy your largesse . . . give me a ring and we can discuss it). Again, not all of us need the requisites of the corner apothecary on a regular basis (although our four-legged friends and their seemingly infinite creativity are frequently enough to give any of us a headache). BUT, which of us does not enjoy being treated to a sweet now and again?

As you may know, one of the premier sweets which emanate from Aachen are the “Printen” (a lovely, if not-too-sweet, cookie) that seem to be on offer in every second or third store you pass in the city. The Printen shops have caught WEG fever in a big way. Offered for your consideration (ora pro nobis, Rod Serling) are but three windows from the central business district.

In the first of these windows we see the WEG mascot, Karli, waving us into the store with that large left hoof of his (hers?). To the left and above Karli’s head you can see the first of many examples of the Printen that the creative minds of Aachen’s bakers have crafted with which to tempt us. [insert photos 5, 6, & 7] Printen horses, Printen horse shoes (much better than chewing on nails, I am certain), Printen horses and riders. You almost expect to see a Printen surrey with a fringe on top . . . but Rogers and Hammerstein’s attorneys are a virulent crowd. Still, there are cookies aplenty with which to reward Debbie, Gunter, Steffen, or Leslie should they hoist gold above their head next Saturday evening. One adventurous bakery [insert photo 8] seems to have thought better about the equestrian counterpart of going “whole hog” (the local health authorities would, no doubt, have looked askance at the undertaking), but settled for the second best thing of having a full-sized model of a horse in their store.