On a hill, above Dischingen …
… sits Castle Taxis
It is owned by the von Thurn und Taxis family* and not open to visitors (which makes sense, I wouldn’t want to have strangers wandering my halls at odd hours either [never mind that my flat does not *have* any halls]).
Alas, the road signs totally don’t say that it’s not open to visitors, they’re the “this way to interesting things!” kind of road signs that point out attractions all over Germany, and so you really only find out (if you don’t look places up before you head there, but simply meander through the countryside and follow signs to places more or less at random [I didn’t even know there was a Castle Taxis, let alone in that precise location]) when you end up at then end of their driveway and there’s a sign saying ‘no entry’ instead of one saying ‘visitor parking this way ->. Entry to grounds €5’. So, you know: Ooops. Also: Sorry.
And, to make everything more oops, wouldn’t you know, that driveway is totally where and when and how and why I (think I) encountered Gloria, the Princess of Thurn und Taxis – for as I was backing out of the (private) driveway (sorry!), a woman on a bicycle passed me and gave me a totally bemused/sceptical look, which I initially parsed as being sheer amazement at the fact that I own such a lovely and eye-catching and non-subtle blue toque**, but after googling her photograph I now think it was Gloria, PofT&T and it was more of a ‘what are you doing in our driveway? We’re expecting no deliveries, and anyway, your car is totally not a delivery van! Or is there surprise cake? But, wait … you’re not the baker, so of your kindness, strange woman with the blue toque, gerrofmydriveway!’ kind of look. Either way, I waved and she nodded and on I drove, down the hill and away. (The sign really is posted in a location where its kind of already too late.)
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* Inventors of the postal system. (Yes, yes, Silent Tristero is coming for us all. Don’t believe it! :-) )
** Which I do! It is shiny and warm and comfortable and non-scratchy and 100% made of natural ingredients such as dead dinosaurs and long-decayed forests and I bought it in Los Angeles in a surf shop because the wind was soooo cooold that day and I can totally walk through crowds of students unnoticed when I wear my less-flashy black one instead, as I have the only shiny blue toque on campus (and I am not afraid to wear it :-) )!
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