Today we got to go to a single ring circus here in Kandern. It was a lot of fun for only 6 Euros a head. Now if all you have seen in circuses are those big mega productions in the US, then you are missing out. Everyone in this circus had the same last name (except for one of the guys running around setting stuff up). This is the kind of circus that you used to hear about people running away from home and joining. They had a lot of fun and you could tell this was the way of life for this family.

Anyway, we don’t know why it is called Zirkus Lamberti because everyone’s last name is Zinnecker. I think the father was in every act but two. He was the trainer for the mini ponies, he did a great stunt where he balanced up four chairs high all on four wine bottles, he was also the knife thrower, and one of the clowns. The youngest daughter was the tight-rope walker and also did the acrobatics up on these velvet rope things. She also did some tricks with the hula hoops. The son was the comic relief and also did some of the acrobatics. He was also learning to throw knives at his mother and that when I told Krista that I bet the father does all the disciplining. The wife was the emcee for the show and she and the older daughter were the objects being narrowly missed by the knives. Even the granddaugther (probably only 3 months old) did a little balancing act at the end of the show with grandma.

But the difference between this circus in the US and here in Germany: They took a person from the crowd to throw knives at and the person actually did it (although she did not watch the knives come at her). I even got to get into the ring as one of the clowns picked me to be one of their “stautes”. My biggest fear was that they would ask me something that I would not understand or that I would have to speak. Luckily, they just asked me to put on boxing gloves at make some grunting noises. It was a hoot for Alex to see his Dad in the middle of all of this.

Besure to check out our photos in the photo album.