We're CUCKOO for cuckoo clocks!

I grew up with a cuckoo clock. My parents were stationed in Germany. In fact- they met and got married here! While they were here, they got a cuckoo clock, and it's hung faithfully in our home ever since! In college, Mom opened up a precious German gift shop called "Hansel und Gretel Haus" and sold, you got it, cuckoo clocks! (among other wonderful German crafts, such as steins, nutcrackers, smokers, linens...) Working for her in the summer, I'd stare at the cuckoo clocks and notice each one's details. I dreamed of getting one, but could not imagine being able to afford it! While teaching, I've been saving my small bonus each year (learned that from Mom) to put it together and make a big bonus! When I found out I was coming here to Germany, I decided to spend my bonus money on a cuckoo clock! I wanted to do it right, so we decided to go to the Black Forest to a little town called Triberg that is filled with cuckoo shops. We plugged in our B&B in the GPS and hit the road Saturday after lunch. It was a beautiful drive through small towns and through the Black Forest, but it looked vaguely familiar. We started laughing when we pulled into Triberg. We had come here before! In March I came to visit during my spring break and we went to Triberg for a day trip!

Our B&B
The view out our window. You can't see it, but there's a stream below from the waterfall and it provided fabulous sounds to sleep to!

Let the cuckoo clock journey begin!

My favorite clock was always the "kissing couples" clock. After the cuckoo, they turn their heads, as if to "kiss", then turn their heads back to you. So sweet! This was the clock I'd always imagined buying.

However, after going on the brewery tour and to the Hofbrauhaus in Munich, I LOVED the beer drinking aspect of Munich! From that weekend on I was torn. Beer drinkers or kissing couple? But I didn't like the ducks on this clock. (Seriously- ducks?)

Here was a better beer drinker clock! No ducks AND it had a Maypole AND a waitress carrying 6 liters of beer! (Most impressive!) But it was white and we weren't sure about that.

THIS clock had it all! Kissing couples on the left and beer drinkers on the right! Success, right? Wrong. It just didn't feel right. It was super expensive and super busy. The people were so small you could barely see them!

The final three. How to decide? I know! With a coffee and apple strudel break!

On our way to the cafe, I saw this shop up the hill- off the beaten path. I decided to pop in- just top see...

Immediately I was struck by the unique clocks here. Growing up with clocks, I'd seen a LOT of clocks- but NONE like these. Check them out!

I had ventured into a Master Carvers' Club shop! Here five master carvers, carpenters, and clockmakers founded this shop to protect the Black Forest old cuckoo clock tradition. All the clocks are carved by hand. No factory made clocks here! They only make a few of each model. I was instantly enchanted.

Look at these clocks! WOW!

They're so elaborate!! This one has Neuschwanstein on top.

Absolutely amazing. (and out of my price range!) But I loved the idea of getting an authentic Black Forest cuckoo clock. The shop keeper told me (with her nose slightly in the air) that the kissing couples clock was NOT an authentic clock. That Americans like the hummel figures, so that's why they put them there, but that they are not clock figures. Yikes! She also explained that the master carvers clocks use thick wood- not plywood like the factory made clocks. I was hooked! And I found the perfect clock!! I kept going back to it- it was calling my name!

Me, my new clock, and the master carver! My only complaint was that it didn't play Edelweiss and the Happy Wanderer! No problem, they told me! We'll get the clock-maker to switch the music! I love my new clock!!

It's an eight day clock. I call it the Farm Frau. It's the perfect amount of detail. Not overwhelming or too small. I LOVE the clock-face and hands. It has children musicians in the top. I can't wait to hang it up!

Success! Having crossed off our major goal for the weekend, we went to dinner. Halfway through we heard familiar voices coming around the corner and were shocked to run into friends! We'd met these friends on the trip to Italy. One was an Aggie and his brother and sister-in-law were both visiting for the summer. (teachers) They sat at the next table and we had a fabulous timing talking. After dinner, we walked over to the waterfall. Triberg is famous for it's Gutach Waterfall, which falls 500 feet over several falls.

What a wonderful trip to Triberg!