Oktoberfest with the Kries Family

October 7, 2012

I wanted to dedicate a blog post to our wonderful family friends, Klaus and Susanna Kries. Our family connection with them goes back to 1965. While on an engineering internship at Lockheed, Klaus became friends with my grandfather, Bill Barber. They have been close friends ever since. I am sure that Granddaddy thinks of Klaus as a brother or another son.  Their children are slightly older than me, and came to visit us in Georgia several times in the 90's.  During my childhood we returned the favor and visited them in Munich. 

Family stories aside, I was thrilled that Doug and fellow Olmsted Scholar, Sarah Thomas, got to spend time at my home away from home in Grobenzell, Germany.

Here are some photos as we drove from Copenhagen to Munich, all in one day.
It took about 11 hours.

Here is our complete route!

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We also visited their family house in the mountains, and on the way home, got lost and ended up in Austria. So, Danger has now visited 10 countries!

I have also posted many pictures of Danger's Baltic Blast to my Facebook page for your viewing pleasure.

 Hamburg

Germany is a world leader in wind and solar energy. They often make so much electricity from the wind that they have to SHUT OFF the windmills! They are going to need these things once they take all of their nuclear plants off-line.

Jetta LOVED the Autobahn!

Fields of hops

The hop harvest is complete for this year

Family portrait in the driveway!

This traditional Bavarian dress, or dirndl, was purchased by our host Susanne in 1976. 

This was her very first dirndl, as she is Swiss. 

She gave it to me in 1999, and I have been wearing it ever since.

So handsome!  I think he should be in a lederhosen catalog.

The design on the front flap of the lederhosen is supposed to be a big deal.  Zippers are a no-no.

Hi, Daddy.  Hi, Danger.

The Kries family cat, enjoying a roll in the driveway

We're here!

And making friends!

Mmmm!  These giant gingerbread cookies (lebkuchenherzen) are decorated and people buy them for their sweethearts. Many of them read "My Princess" or "My Love", etc. 

If you're not into wearing a big cookie around your  neck all night, you can buy a small purse in the shape and design of the cookie as a nice, functional Oktoberfest accessory.

Doug and Sandra, Klaus's oldest daughter.

Serefe!

mmmm....Spaten! 

Only by the liter. You could also get the half-beer, half-lemon/lime (Radler), or non-alcoholic.

Klaus, Doug and I about to dig into our ox and potato salad in the Spaten tent.

This was our first day at Oktoberfest, on Tuesday.  We returned with Sarah on Thursday.

We simply could not get enough of the potato salad.

So what does one do the morning after Oktoberfest (Wednesday)?

Go hiking and rock climbing, of course!

We decided not to hike the 2 hours, so we rode the gondola up halfway. 

Susanne was such a trooper!

From here we ditched our hiking poles and did some rock climbing up to the top.

Our view down on Garmisch-Partenkirchen

I bought a Dr. Pepper as "emergency caffeine", as I have not had a soda in over a year. 

Dr. Pepper + Rock Climbing + Alpine Air = Hangover Cure

Behind me is Alpspitz, which I climbed 13 years ago.

In 1999, my family and the Kries family climbed to the top of Alpspitz, the second tallest mountain in Germany. It was an incredibly fun day (for me). I'm pretty sure my parents thought that we were all going to fall to our deaths. 

As we climbed up, often on hands and knees, clinging to rocks as better prepared climbers wearing harnesses passed us....my Mom would look at the little flowers growing in the crevices and say, 

"If this little flower can survive in such conditions, so can I!"  

Susanne mentions that whenever she gets tired climbing, she stops and looks at the flowers, and remembers what my Mom said that day.

Alpine milk cows, each and every one a Mississippi State fan. 

We could hear their cowbells clanking for miles.

Back at the bottom.

We were on one of the lower mountains, to the right of the main road into town.

After an afternoon of climbing, Susanne and I went to the local swimming pool to enjoy the hot-tub.

We then walked around town, stretching our muscles.

OMG!  Nasturtium climbs?!?  

Inside the church. It was too dark already

More ponies!  There is an agricultural fair associated with Oktoberfest every 4 years.

Icelandic horses, and yes, their gate is so smooth, you can ride without spilling your beers.

Free beer?  Darn!

Halflingers showing off their dressage moves.

Halflingers are extremely hardy little ponies. They are used for light draft or under saddle.

The breed was developed in Austria, and they have one of the longest lifespans of any horse breed. 

You can find them in the mountains still doing work at 30 years of age!

Beautiful Belgians doing their job

Halflingers in harness

Every brewery has their own draft team on display

Lake Amersee, where Klaus keeps their sailboat

Pretty forest mushroom. On our way to Andechs village and monastery  for lunch and a cold beer.
I forgot to tell Sarah that when Klaus says we're going for a "short walk to get lunch," it really translates into 4 miles uphill, and then 4 miles back down. Sorry, Sarah!

Klaus waited with Danger while Sarah, Doug and I went into the church at Andechs monastery. 

The village of Andechs

Sadly, our week in Munich came to a close.
We will be back around Christmas time for sure!

Ultralight aircraft at sunset, somewhere in central Poland

There's no place like home!

Check out our friend Sarah's blog and read about her experience at Oktoberfest!