I last day in Germany for me. Geoff got up at the crack of dawn to take the Snake River brewer to the Weyerman Malting brewery to brew. I was supposed to go with them, but when the alarm went off at 5:30 am I was not into it. I slept in. Got up late relaxed a little, slowly got into the shower. I was moving really slow. Partially because the run in with the Danish the night before and partially because I wanted to soak up all of Germany I could. I don't want to go home. I strolled down the street. Got some coffee and took in all of Bamberg I could. I tried to go down all the streets I hadn't been down yet and see if I had missed anything. Stopped in at few of my favorites places for a beer. I also stopped into to see if I could find the vest I had lost the night before. No luck. I day went by very quickly.
A very large group was invited the the Weyerman Malting party at a local brewery for a dinner. This was to be the last thing for me to do in town. I had to catch a train as soon as the dinner was over back to Munich. The Weyerman's put on a great dinner. Very traditional Bavarian meal. Roast goose with kanoddle sp? (a potato dumpling) and creamed cabbage. It was so good, even though it wasn't more pork. After dinner we took a tour of the brewery. The brewery was old. Some of their equipment was just ancient. After that I talked with a few of the people at dinner, including Ramona, the N. American sales rep for Weyerman Malting. She is just a sweetheart. Not enough time talking to her though, I was off to the train station.
The Training leaving Bamberg was 15 minutes late getting in and I was standing on the platform in very fitting weather. It was misty and foggy and cold. Perfect for a midnight train out of town. The train ride was fine although since it was a little behind I missed one of the last subways back in Munich to the airport. So I had to wait in the Subway at 1:30 in the morning for 2 hours for the next train. Finally made it to the airport so I could find a place to sleep for a few hours before I could check-in for my flight. Then I checked-in and got though security and found yet another place to sleep for a few hours before my plane took off. I knew it was going to be a long trip home.
Bye, Bye Germany

Never did make it out last night. The days are catching up with me. I headed to the kabap place for dinner, did a few lines on the blog and off to bed. Geoff on the other hand was not so lucky. He got roped into having quite e few beers. Sorry I missed the fun, but glad I got more sleep. Got up today and had to take care of a few details. (1) Move to another hotel. Geoff had to start work and his brewer's were staying in another hotel. The new hotel is nicer and much more expensive them the hotel we have been staying at. (2) Buy some beer to send back to the states. Our original plan was to send beer back in one of the containers that Geoff's malt company would be sending him from Bamberg. After considering the legal ramification we decided against it. So we are off to a beer store that will ship us beer in the US. We put some in our check bags for the flight, but you can only fit so much in there.
Back to our hotel to rest up and relax. There are e few brewers coming into town tonight and we need to be ready. This is when Geoff has to start working. Host the brewers and set them up.
When everyone does show-up we are off. Have to keep these guys going or they will crash from the jet lag. Off to beers at Fassla. Bullshitting, picture showing, and stories. Someone, I will blame Geoff, says " three rounds at each place then move on." I'm not sure how many place we are going to make it to. And the rounds don't include the schnapps, only the beer. We do end up making it to the third brewery. That is where we run into the Danish brewers. And then it gets really crazy. These boys can drink............a lot. This is where things started going down hill for me and as I would find out later everyone else. After I don't know how many rounds of beer, some wurst and some roasted pork( as always)I see the Utah brewers making their way to the exit from across the table. Unfortunately I am trapped on the other side between the Danish. I stayed for a few more rounds and then snuck out as fast as I could. I knew that it was then or 4 am. I could tell that they were in for a long night. Did get talked into one more at the hotel with a few more brewers, but then off to bed. In all the craziness with sneaking out of the bar with the Danish I forgot my vest along the way. It was a small price to pay.
tchuss

Up late needed the slepp after last night out with the German brewers. Headed to old town Bamberg. Small narrow streets with buildings from the 14th century. Meachalsburg and Kloster monestary with brewing museum. Overlooks the whole city. Saw the Bamberg imperial cathedral with only pope burried outside of Rome. Went to Schlenlra for a very smokey beer. Drank a bock, a martzen and a weisse beir. Had a Bamberg onion. Wow. hollow out an onion fill with pork meatlaof and bake. Delicious!!.
Walk a little more to Kloesterbräu. The only brown and schwartz beer in Bamberg. Had both. This town is very proud of their beers. Well time for dinner. WE just can`t seem to make a bad choice on food. Saurbrauten( marinated beef with blukraut) Finally some beef instead of pork. Geoff had wurst with best saurkraut yet, by far.
Back to the hotel and a quick nap before we meetup with a Weyerman saleswomen. I don`t think I`ll make it without a nap. I might not even make it with a nap.

More to come.

river

I hope everyone is dealing with my lack of proof-reading. I am always in a hurry to finish typing and the spell check doesn´t work here.
Woke up to another gorgeous day. Sunny, fairly warm and no clouds. Hop on a train back to Munich. This time there was no searching of our bags. But also less singing, since we were leaving Austria.
We dropped another bag in a locker and took the s-bahn (subway) to weihenstephan. The oldest brewery in the world. Had a few, dunkel, dunkelweisse,and the edel-pils. Paired that with some wurst and soft cheese. Not quite stinky enough for me. Our picture taking has slowed up a little, I am having some technical difficulties with my camera. Getting it worked out though. Always buy the service contract.
Weihenstephan is a nice collage town. The university seems a buzz with students. It is a bit more hip and faster than what we have been used to. Tried calling Trish but the phones and phone cards work less often here then they do in Italy. Piss Poor!!
Took the suspect train back to the main terminal. We weren`t sure where it was going. But luckily it was the right train. Sometimes you have to gamble. All we had to do is get our bags from our locker and some beer and get to the train headed for Bamberg. Unfortunately our locker malfunctioned and wouldn`t open. Both Geoff and I were a little worried, our train was leaving in 15 min and we needed our bags. Luckily Geoff runs off and brings back the man with the keys. We have found most people in Germany to be helpful and friendly and this man was the same. Off to Bamberg.
Most of the train trip there I sat in a row in front of Geoff to charge my broken camera. Finally I can get away from his constant talking. Wait, I hope he doesn`t read this.
BAMBERG the most brewies per capita then any city in Germany.
Wow cheap hotel, but really, really small. Off to Spezial for a beer and dinner. Ah the smoked beers of Bamberg!! This is the brewery that I was most looking forward to going to. Rauchbier from vas ( smoked beer straight from the barrel). Dinner was once again a hit, Limburger, leberkäss and schweinsnitzle. Umm stinky cheese. ON to the lager and the bock beer as well, the seasonal release. One more? okay then of to Fassla just across the street. Dunkel and beer schnapps(on my insistance). Beer straight from the barrel again, schnapps straight from a gas tank, lol. This stuff is pure rocket fuel. Another round of lager and run into German brews out back. They were the top 12 brewmasters of pub breweries in all of Germany in town with Kasper schultz brewing systems. There were then many more beers as well as bullshitting and passing of inspiration and hospitality both ways. There was promises of visits to the states and shared ideas for beers. Ülrich top brewmaster in Germany there as well. Finally off to bed, I am done.

Woke up and got packed for Austria. Only the bare essentials, one pack together. The rest goes in a locker. Geoff does´t cre for my singing. Peacefully riding along on the train until Geoff and I get taken out of our cabin for a luggage search by the customes police. Geoff flew through Amsterdam on the way in and they looked a little worried. " you go to coffee house?" "no" "you have forbiddens?" "no" Seriously we don`t have the hash they are looking for and are sent back to our compartment and back to singing.
The ride over the mountains into Austria is beautiful, mountains, lakes, and quaint cottages. Got a hotel and off to Augustiner. What do you mean they don`t open until 2:30. Okay off to this old dark smokey beer hall with antlers on the walls and ceiling. What do you mean closed on Sun. This getting crazy. There is this brewery, they make their own weisse beer. Sounds good. What do you closed. COME ON! We want beer and need food. Finally aplace to eat drink and rest our feet.
Head up the hill to an old fortress above the city. This fotress was huge. I can see why it was never conquered. Great views from up there.
Back down the hill and off to the hotel for a quick rest. We`ve been going all day. Then off to Augustiner, that`s right for the second time. This time they are open. We are happy for that too. This is probably the best beerhall we have been to yet. You grab a stein from the shelf rinse it from the old well tap and take it to the tender who pours you a beer straight from the barrel. Just amazing martzen. Dinner once again was a cafeteria style. Hey no roasted pork for us tonight. I`m not sure I could do it again, even if it was really good. After a big bock beer we decide to call it a night and head back.
so long, farewell, auf weiderzaine tonight. sp?

So we get to the stop and take a taxi up the hill to the brewer and old monestary Klöster andechs. A very majestic sight. The beer hall there overlooks the whole countryside. Grab a couple of beers before dinner and relax, with dunkel.
The food set up in this beerhall is like cafeteria style. Grab a tray and look over what they offer and they will plate it up. Geoff asks if they have this German meatloaf. They reply no but we have this. I am not sure what it was other than some kind of pork again. We both end-up getting it and oh my god. This was some good pork. As best we can tell it was roast bacon, not sliced up. UUUUMMMM the belly of the beast.
On to more beer, Dupel bock dunkel and more helles. Next round, wait a minute they have stopped serving. Well time to go. Not sure how to get back, no taxis this time. Lets look over the other side down to the town. I heard there is a path all the way. And then we were walking down this path through the forest in the dark with alot of tree cover. The only light was the 5/8 moon. It's a long way down. 5 km later we end up in a neighbor and then the town. Neither I nor Geoff can believe we made it without getting lost. Walking the last little bit through this neiborhood I peered into one of the large houses and saw a girl in some kind of french maid`s outfit. I`m not sure what was going on there.
We finally exit the trail back to town and as if it were for us, fireworks start going off. Some kind of large fireworks display. We were a little disoriented so we weren`t sure whether it was over the lake or a soccer field. Not sure why, maybe it was for us.
So glad to be back in civilivation we stop for three Augustiner helles beers. Now off to catch one of the last trains. Damn 22 min wait, good thing they serve wiesse beer at the station. Can*t remember the details but Geoff was wrong about his side of our disagreement.???
Back at the central station everything is closed................except one place. One more beer, a löwenbräu and a wurst before bed!!

We wake up today to hints of sun. Could it happen. The first two days were all cloud covered. Coffee and a wonderful cheese pretzel. Off to Aying to the brewery there. Beautiful countryside on way to the brewery. WE are finally out of the city. Aying is a quaint little town, all that,s there is the brewery. The brewery there is state of the art. Just beautiful. Head to the pub for beer, hey it,s almost 11. Enjoy some great keller helles, the dunkel and the jahundert and some weinerwurst. Finally able to buy, with the right amount of change, a novelty item in we have been wondering about in the every bathroom in Germany. Those of you of age will hear about it later. Off to dinner and beer at Kloster andeches.
tschüs!

AH so I am back on the computer. So we were at the Unionsbrau good beer great gulasch. Then I swear they turned up the heat to 80 degrees. Wow talk about a hot box down there inthe basement. We order our next beer and it is undrinkable. Seriously, infected and horrible tasting. WE seek out with out drinking the beer and head back in search of a drinkable beer.
In the train station I get a little gluwein, spiced hot wine. It,s fine not me cup of tea though. A couple of beers and we are back to the hotel to power up for tomorrow. BTW I still haven,t had dessert in Germany.
tschüs!

After 6 liters of beer a piece Geoff and I are moving alittle slow today. Coffee and a baked good and a little computer time. The day was spent planning and recovering. Lunch back at augustineir. Schweineaxle. Damn fine roasted pig and a few beers. Sup our plan for tomorrow, we,ll be on the go. Dinner at Unionsbrau. Good dunkel and great gulosch. I love the food here, it,s comfort food. The brewery was old and quite antiquated. more later we are being kicked out of the internet cafe. Prost.

Started out the trip on a bad note, foundout I fly back a day early. I could change the flight but it would cast me about $2600. I,ll leave early. The flight was easy, wine and movies. Have you seen tropic thunder? See it! No sleep. Had some great eazedropping. Two ladies next to me were getting heldover in Atlanta thought it was a small Vegas. I think they were expecting Atlantic City. Played trivia on the plane, I am really smart or me plane was stupid. I got (2) 1st's & (2) 2nd's. The rest of the trip was meaningless.
>Showed up in Germany ready for beer. NEEDED A LITTLE HELP GETTING MY TRAIN TO THE CITY THOUGH: I just could'nt get the card to work. The hotel was a short walk from the train where Geoff was waiting. I had now been in Germany 1 hour wiht out a beer. We changed that. Headed to Augustiner BrÄustuben. The food smelled great. We had to hold ourselves back from ordering everything. Since it was 10am we got eggs on ham on toast. They were amazing. Great rye bread. Eggs were done just right. Ohh and the beer. THe Helles, the Edelstoff, and the dunkel. All quite good. Headed back here at some point for the roasted pig, schweine hochsen. sp? Took a train to the marienplatz. Saw the glockenspiel. Also coming here again when it goes off, on the hour. Hey look it`s Andechser am Dom. STARED WITH THE DOPPLE DOCK DUNKEL. Alittle big for this time of the morning. Helles and dunkelweizen followed. This is where things start getting alittle fuzzy. We did find the famous or infamous Haufbrauhaus. Early but some singing and music. Cured meats and big beers.
On the way to train we run into Ayinger. Okay one more beer.Oh they have a Kellar barrel. This is why I almost lost my bag with money and camera in it. Found it though. Train back to Hotal area.
Braunstubeil aun Spaten for dinner. Not so good. Okay I am seeing doulble , call it a night.