Living like kings may be a great thing, but then again when we visited Sigmaringen Castle on the beautiful Blue Danube in the dead of winter, I was persuaded that it was probably an advantage to live in the 20th Century. It was freezing!. Our German speaking guide somehow conveyed that it took 3 days to get the furnaces working back in the day, and I doubt they made all that much of a difference. But the spaces and furnishings and art were more than compensatory for the discomfort. To enter where the knights would ride in on their steeds. To wander from ornate room after ornate room. Even so cold, it was sheer luxury. It was fun to imagine what it would be like to live like that. At least in summer.
We were the only souls around that January day, and our guide had lots of time to spend with us, though we didn't understand a word she said, and conversely. However, it was hard to mistake her enthusiasm as we reached a table with a little glass piece on it. About the size of a postcard, it depicted an intricate hunting scene. It was delicate, like exquisite filigree, and all white. I nearly yawned, but that's a little difficult to do when shivering. I just didn't get what was so remarkable, when we'd seen room after room of giant Chinese vases, priceless tapestries, centuries old portraits, and so on. But this animated woman got more and more wound up about this diminutive display. So we all worked diligently to understand why, and finally it became clear that this singular piece of art was over 400 years old and was made of bread dough. Isn't it funny what forms of expression a master artist can find to bring forth beauty? Seeing it through her eyes, it did become a true highlight for me. Even all these years later. Maybe there are more masterpieces around than we realize, if we just keep our eyes open.
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