Daedalian Adventures

The road ahead is rarely straight…

By Lynelle Barrett

Appropriate Attire Recommended

It’s cool to live in Europe and visit places like Paris, Milan and Prague, but sometimes a voyage to a different sort of land is on the itinerary. So along with over 24,000 other folks who wanted to escape reality, I headed for the Elf Fantasy Fair in Haarzuilens.

Haarzuilens is the site of the Kasteel De Haar, a 14^th century castle (rebuilt in the 19^th century) located in the middle of the Netherlands. The Elf Fantasy Fair is a medieval festival in the make-believe village of Elfia. On the morning of my journey, I picked some fun clothes and accessories from my closet. I wore a new peacock blue wig that I bought on ebay, along with a deep green goddess blouse, satin corset, long black skirt and violet tights. I decided not to wear my wings since it was drizzling and it’s hard to wear wings AND a rain jacket (you know what I mean). When I boarded the train, fellow voyagers were easy to spot by their costumes and make-up. The rest of the people on the train tried not to stare. And we pretended to be blasé. Oh, this old thing? Had it for ages…

When I arrived at the castle, it became increasingly obvious that I was seriously underdressed. Apparently, a quick shopping trip in your closet is not really sufficient to truly dress the part of a citizen of Elfia. The upper crust of Elfian society seems to invest considerable energy into looking the part. Even Elfian dogs were sporting the latest fashion in wings and unicorn horns. Elfia is a place to see and be seen. Not one to be discouraged, I didn’t let my simple garb spoil my fun. My friends and I drank mead (honey wine), ate candy apples, tried on armor, shopped for diadems and goddess jewelry, watched the battle between good and evil (evil won!), chatted with the locals and simply enjoyed people watching. It was like any holiday in a foreign town. I think I’d like to visit again, but next year I’ll dress like the locals.

Elf Fantasy Fair

http://haarzuilens.elffantasyfair.com/?langswitch_lang=en

Lynelle Barrett lives in the Netherlands but likes to travel to other places…whether they are real or not.