After visiting the fish farm we drove to Reuried a little village very close by.
We parked in the village. Immediately we saw the smoke from the barbecue coming out of the forest. After a short walk we reached an area which had been cleared of trees and which was obviously always used for celebrating local events.
It was almost continuously raining on this day. But this did not damp the spirit of all the fun loving people.
After or before a walk - or even without walking like us - everybody enjoyed the offered food and all kind of drinks. A local association set up a tent and offered the famous "Thuringian Bratwurst", barbecued over a charcoal fired grill, delicious home baked goods, hot coffee, molded red wine, lemonade, mineral water and naturally beer and schnapps. All the work was done by volunteers to collect money for good purposes.

Unfortunately the rain came with low temperatures and the open fire was appreciated by everybody. Especially by Elizabeth, my wife. She regularly came and watched the kids who had fun with so called "bread sticks" which they got for free. At the end of a wooden stick bread dough was attached. The children held this into the fire and eat the home baked bread. However, very often they were so impatient that the bread was burnt black and inedible.
Despite the rain boys and girls had obviously lots of fun playing in the outdoors without screaming, yelling and fighting. As you can see also no garbage was littered on the ground - the place was kept very clean.
According to my experience recycling became almost a cult in Germany.

Elizabeth was always feeling cold and the fire was one of her favorite places after she had enjoyed different home baked goods like cheese cake and good strong coffee.

We were sitting close to this laughing lady and her husband who is shown returning with a "Thuringian Bratwurst". Please try this specialty which you can buy almost everywhere. I like them much better than hot dogs.
Later we have been invited to their home which they had built completely by their own. Starting with cutting trees for the wood and transporting stones with cow drawn wagons. No machinery had been used at all and to receive permission to purchase certain needed material some of their farm products had to be given in exchange.

The GDR had the highest living standard in the former communist system and when you talk to the older people you understand why - they worked hard and were inventive to make their live as good as possible.
Health care and child care were excellent and normally both partners worked. Unemployment was unknown, but I met nobody who wants the bad things of the communist regime back.
It was nice to share fun with the friendly people of Thuringia. Don't hesitate to participate also in little events like the "Männertag". Please be prepared that nobody speaks an English - Russian was the second official language in the former GDR.
The people are extremely friendly, but when you send an e-mail to a tourist office or a business - even in German what I did - you may not always receive an answer. I am trying to educate people but without a powerful organization backing me up the success rate will be not be too great.