The sounds of present day reality murmur behind us as we walk
along the path...enjoying the caress of the cool morning breeze on
its way to whisper thru the canopy of trees overhead....the sun warms
the air with the scents of the forest.....a smile of delight as a wood sprite
with gossamer wings and an engaging grin appears before us, sharing
lollipops from her little basket....

Soon we are in the midst of the marketplace.....weaving our way between
each intriguing display of medieval artisan crafts.......

~~~~~~~a trail of smoke and the sound of bellows puffing the coals
into an orangey glow leads us to the blacksmith as she prepares to make
tangible the intricate design she alone can see in the glowing piece of
iron resting upon her forge......

The sun slips thru the trees to free the rainbow of colors dancing
within the crystals hanging above the amethyst, moss agate, and
snowflake quartz where the rock merchant has displayed her treasures
.......precious gems in the hands of a child......

Music dances in the air........   soft gentle notes of a recorder offer
a soothing respite to the busy sounds around us.......the lilting melody
of bagpipes off in the distance carries the magic of Scotland  ...the
sweet clear voice of the strolling minstrel echoes along the pathway
ahead......

Wood carvings smooth with oil applied by hand compel you to touch &
absorb the richness of the wood grain...the fine delicate detail of a ladies comb....
the whimsy of the toy soldiers......the solid strength of the
weapons----replica's of ancient days.......

Armored knights walk proudly amongst the crowd, offering hearty
greetings of welcome to the gentlemen and courtly bows to the ladies
with charming words of  'Greetings milady'.....

Exquisite scents waft along the breeze, drifting out of a vibrantly
colored tent filled with sachets of dried flowers.....fragrant oils and
softly scented soap for miladies bath.....

Laughter from the crowd rolls across the meadow as all are entertained
by rooks, bishops, kings & queens engaging in battle upon the life-sized
chess board.......

The day winds down......the delights have been many and varied.....
a brief visit into days of long ago.......

As the children splash along the lakeshore......

ahhhhhh.....a quiet moment alone.............raspberries to be
savored......soft sighs as she smiles into his eyes......the sweet
flavor of the raspberry blending with the smooth coolness of the cream
and the slight taste of salt as she nibbles and tastes from his
fingers.......mmmmmmmm......
 

The sounds of present day reality clamor for our attention ahead,
as we retrace our steps.......but the whispers of memories of an
enchanting day remain......