Mr. Prose (fits him much better than Mr. Pearl) and I spent the weekend in Amish country, Pennsylvania. What a refreshing change from the pace of city life and all the heat and humidity. Instead of traffic and high rises, we saw this:

If you’re expecting photos of the Amish, you’ll be disappointed. I don’t feel right taking pictures of them as “curiosities.” They lead a different lifestyle, for sure, but they’re not on exhibition. The closest I came was a horse and buggy.

A nice surprise for me was the architecture, and lovely shops and restaurants. Does this mean I’m a big-city snob? Probably a little. Or maybe I just forgot how beauty can be found in little out-of-the-way places. How pretty is this window display in Lititz, PA?

Finally, an Amish horse and buggy:

“Amish Country” includes Mennonites and Amish. In the sixteenth century, Mennonites and other Anabaptists were persecuted relentlessly, according to Wikipedia. By the seventeenth century, some of them “joined the state church and persuaded the authorities to relent in their attacks. The Mennonites outside the state church were divided on whether to remain in communion with their brothers within the state church, and this led to a split. Those against remaining in communion with them became known as the Amish, after their founder Jacob Amman. Those who remained in communion with them retained the name Mennonite.”

 The Amish are known for simple living and modest dress, and a refusal to adopt modern conveniences like electricity. I have heard that some have relented a bit because they needed to use telephones to stay in contact with their customers. There are several quilt shops throughout the region, plus fruit and vegetable stands. If you go, plan around Sunday, because almost all Amish establishments are closed that day.

More pics from the Amish country tomorrow….