Kintzheim
13 September 2017, continued
As we continued further to the south, not very far at all from L’Ortenbourg, we came to another castle called the Chateau de Kintzheim. This one we knew we had to park and hike up, but it was supposed to be an easy go. We also read that they have a bird of prey breeder/sanctuary there. We weren't sure what all that was because the castle looked to be mostly ruins, but we decided to take the trip up and see. We parked, found the trail, and enjoyed a fairly easy hike up to the walls. There was an entry fee to get through the gate, which was unusual for a ruin, but they had mentioned a show with the birds called La Volerie des Aigles. We were curious so we decided to pay and check it out.
Once through the gates the walls rose high around us. Plants were growing from the cracks and trees hung over the stone. Beautiful, for sure... but our attention was stolen by the birds! They had perches lining the pathways throughout the castle, and sitting on the perches were owls, vultures, hawks, eagles, and so many other beautiful birds. The show was within the hour, so we walked around the ruins, looking at the birds and the old castle itself. Eventually we found our way to the main courtyard and took our seats for the show!
A very enthusiastic ringleader came to the center and instantly began engaging the crowd. Our French is basic as it is, but even if we were more proficient we would have trouble keeping up with him. Still, we could tell from his tone that he was getting the crowd excited for the show. His performance was almost theatrical, very reminiscent of what you would see at a Renaissance festival. He warned the parents with small children to keep them close and not let them wander around, and considering the size of the birds we saw we could imagine why!
The crowd sat in a wide circle, facing the ringleader in the center. Around the outside of the ring behind our backs the bird handlers encircled the crowd. They sent various birds down from the stone walls above, and they swooped over the crowd and landed on their handler's arm. They would fly across the ring, but as the handlers moved around behind us we had no idea where they would go next, until they were swooping right over our heads! It was great laughing at people in the crowd duck out of the way... until we were the ones who had to duck! At one point in the show they brought out the vultures, and these birds were truly amazing. They were absolutely huge, and their dark, ominous look chilled you to the core in such a primitive way. They were essentially the birds whose arrival was the sign of an approaching death... and they sure looked the part. Hulking scavengers with their almost evil appearance, the vultures were the atmospheric part of the show. As they flew overhead, you got a sense of that wingspan, which was easily longer than I am tall. You could imagine the terror of seeing these vultures circle in the sky above as you were injured, weak, and thirsty in the desert. Just slowly circling or perched and staring you down with those terrible eyes. Truly amazing birds! Immediately after they went back to their perches and the crowd breathed a sigh of relief, the handlers brought out the hawks. Such a stark contrast as the smaller but faster birds zipped overhead. The leader would toss up treats that the hawks would pick out of the air as they swooped over the circle. If the vultures were the atmosphere of the show, the hawks were the excitement!
As the hawks returned, the crowd was instructed to sit on the ground with our legs stretched out. Our lack of French meant we had no idea what was happening, but we figured it was best to follow suit! The handler brought out a condor. Such an amazing bird! It looked so large and powerful, but they wanted to demonstrate how gentle the condor actually is. The handler used treats to lead the condor around the circle as the gentle giant walked across our outstretched legs.
We were walked on by a condor!!!
As we got back to our seats, the handlers started walking around the circle with their gloves off, offering the glove to the crowd. Beth jumped up at the chance, and within seconds she was wearing the glove and the handler was explaining how to catch a falcon! She turned to the center, and from across the ring the falcon glided over and landed on her arm!
They couldn't perform with the eagles as the weather was not right, and so they ended the show with a few more demonstrations with sea birds and owls. As we walked around the ruins once again, we reflected on the show we just saw. We were unsure what to think at first, as the birds were kept on their perches and you are never really sure about the way captive animals are treated, but it was obvious with the interactions that the handlers care well for their birds. We began our hike back down to the car, reading the pamphlet on their mission and the birds they keep.
We came for a castle, but we left with an experience we'll remember forever. That was certainly an unexpected adventure!
