Burning acorns

In addition to Kastanien, this is also the season for Maronen--edible chestnuts, as in "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" (or as Elias calls it, "the burning acorns song"*). They are falling in vast quantities on the trails leading from Herdern up to the Schlossberg. I interrupted a trot into the hills today to fill up my jacket pockets with a good kilo of nuts. Maronen are surrounded by needle sharp spiky husks that are best pulled apart by shoed feet or gloved hands. Tomorrow we'll cut slits into the shells and roast the nuts in the oven.

*The other day, Elias explained his talent for singing well-known songs: "I sing them, but I change the tunes and use new words."