Saturday morning Bear and I were up at 4 a.m. to pack the car, dress in medieval clothes, and head to Fort Lytton for a day with friends representing the 12th century.

Normally during medieval events, we are busy from morn until night doing demonstrations and talking with the public, but this one was laid back and relaxed and so much fun. We actually had time to hang out with each other, and that was brilliant.

12th century fruit

We got to wander into each other’s tents and see the variations of food, craft, and furniture used by different groups representing different cultures. I was delighted by these rustic little apple hand pies.

medieval apple pies

And who can resist hummus, salted nuts, smoked hams and sausages, dried fruits, lovely cheeses, and those oh so gorgeous strawberries? Medieval food provides mighty good eating indeed.

medieval dried fruit

I also liked looking at all the unique crafts practiced by each group. My friend does the most beautiful naalbinding, a precursor to knitting, churning out cozy mittens, socks, slippers, and cord. Her hubby makes handmade leather shoes that are gorgeous.

naalbinding

My friend Sue and I spent several hours making brightly colored Bedouin tassels for our Bedouin tent, camel saddles, and robes. It was so fun to sit in the shade of the tent, visiting with old and new friends as we worked.

Bedouin tassels

Since it was such a small event, our Templar friends told us to not worry about bringing all our gear, and instead shared their tent with us. It was so great to get to spend time together, telling stories and jokes, swapping tales about past events, and sharing our latest bits of medieval research and discovery.

I especially loved learning about the history of the Templars, their role in the Crusades, and the diverse assemblage of pilgrims from around the known world who accompanied them to the Holy Land.

dried fruit in wooden bowl

My favorite bit was hanging out with such a great group of people, doing something we love with others who love it too.

medieval women in Templar tent

Bear and I returned home exhausted but inspired, full of ideas for projects and improvements and additions to our camp. With our next event less than a month away, we have a lot of fun work to do.

What is your favorite memory from your weekend? xo