First Beer in Bamberg

 Greetings from Barbus, SchlumberLady, BeerGartner and BeerCap. Prosit!!!!!

Day trip...

 This place is almost to Regensburg.  About a 2 hour train ride from Munchen Hbf.

Last Nun to brew beer

Bier Immersion 2021

No answer has been provided, how many biers were consumed during the trip. Where there any accidents or injuries?

The Journey Has Ended

We have completed the circle of midwestern Hobrauhauses, with a couple extra bier venue visits. While Barley Man is absent from this picture at Hofbrauhaus Newport, he did visit during our brief recuperation in Dayton.

A Missing Oktoberfestian

On our Hofbrauhaus tour the gang is having a good time reminescing (sp?). Has anyone seen the missing Oktoberfestian in the middle?

Keith...

Sent from my iPhone. Xcuse any spulling missteaks.

Hofbrauhaus Buffalo

Highly recommended...

It has Begun. Prost

 

The Bier Immersion Trip Has Begun

Keith...

Sent from my iPhone. Xcuse any spulling missteaks.

Früh Kölsch

 Stopover on our way to Italy; Cologne! We were thinking of you.

Less than two weeks away... Questions Remain

 Less than two weeks until the trip of a lifetime..  Oktoberfest Analysts are wondering:

1.  How many beers will be drunken total during the trip?

2.  How many beers will Flyin Dan leave half full?

3.  How many times will Doppleboch say" Good god, that's horrible!"... or something to that effect.

4. Will sheep be present at Flyin Dan's farm?  Will the lambs look like Flyin Dan?  

5. How may different law enforcement jurisdictions will the crew personally encounter?

6. Sausages or Hendl?..  at some point, it won't matter.

7. Will the team stay away from discussing politics for 8 whole days???

8. In what form will Einfahrt appear,  spiritual only?

9.  Will Chugger go over Niagara Falls in a beer keg?  

10.  And the final question:  Who the fuck is Alice?

Tickets purchased, ready to go on the tour!

 It's all over,  but the fun part...  

Updated info for posterity.

Oktoberfest Trip Page

Brood X Bier Immersion Tour 2021

In honor of the 2021 immergence of the cicadas in the Midwest (and our inability to execute the original Bier Immersion Tour), the intrepid Oktoberfestians will not be beat down. We will be embarking on a tour of all the domestic Hofbräuhaus locations. In addition, we will visit two different German establishments.

The venues we will visit over an 11 day span include:

Hofbräuhaus Pittsburg
Hofbräuhaus Buffalo
Hofbräuhaus Cleveland
Hofbräuhaus Columbus
Riggs Beer Company
Hofbräuhaus St. Louis
Bavarian Bierhaus Nashville
Hofbräuhaus Newport

An optional visit will also include the Las Vegas Hofbräuhaus.

Oktoberfest 2021 Comfort Tour

For your information: Schlumberger Lady, Beer Gartner, Beer Cap and I are going on a trip to Germany from August 27 to September 5.  The trip is to Kassel, Bamberg, Nuremberg and of course Munich.  And yes we will keep you informed of our (beer and hacks) experiences via the blog.  To be continued ....

Oktoberfest 2021 Cancelled

 Oktoberfest 2021 ist kaput!

UPDATE 1-German Oktoberfest canceled again due to COVID (msn.com)

Sorry to see this happen,  but predicted.  There may be hope for a beer tour,  but things have to get a whole lot better in Europe. 

There Might Be Hope Afterall !

While not official yet, it looks like the EU will be allowing travel from the U.S. for vaccinated people. Even if no Oktoberfest, we will need to decide on travel.

Read the story here...

Viele Plätze in Bierzelten schon vergeben

 Mr. Granpubah, how about our table reservations? https://www.stimme.de/deutschland-welt/panorama/nachrichten/lifestyle/reise_tourismus/oktoberfest-2021-viele-plaetze-in-bierzelten-schon-vergeben;art83317,4470277

 It is National Bier Day in the Socialist Republic of the Red and Blue States

https://nationaltoday.com/national-beer-day/

Prost!

Happy Easter Fellow Oktoberfestians

In honor of this day I thought I would test your bier knowledge. What does bier have to do with little bunnies and chocolate eggs you may ask. Well, the bunnies have fluffy white tails and our bier has some fluffy white foam. So my question for you is about the foam on our bier.

Why is the foam white?

Please, no Google, Bing, Yahoo or Duck-Duck-Go. Try your best and let's see who can answer this age old question.

Possible Bier Immersion Alternative

With the declining probability of Oktoberfest occurring, or even a Germany trip without the 'Fest, alternative activities have been discussed. One that seems intriguing is a roadtrip to visit the various U.S.-based Hofbräuhauses. Various Oktoberfestians have been to different establishments, but let's do them all together.

There are seven different establishments (the Chicago location just recently closed), and six of them can be easily visited over the course of 5-6 days. These include St. Louis-Belleville, Newport, Pittsburg, Buffalo, Cleveland and Columbus. The remaining location is Las Vegas, and we could suggest a weekend trip to Sin City 😆 However, even Las Vegas is now temporarily closed. What is this world coming to, I ask rhetorically.

A possible itinerary could look like the following:

We could head west to St. Louis, then head east to do the loop. Probably should go soon so they don't all close on us.

Please opine, or offer other ridiculous alternatives.

Travel Probability Meter Reduced

The latest news from the EU and Germany in general is not looking good, so I lowered the travel probability.

Lockdowns Return or are Extended

Maybe time to plan a different excursion somewhere in the States? Dopplebach and I discussed a few alternatives. What say the Oktoberfestians?

Argh ! Time for a Bier.

 Germany weighs longer COVID lockdown amid 'exponential' rise

New Presentation of Probability Meter

It seems that the original intent of the Probability Meter has caused confusion. Since there are actually two different outcomes that could occur, it is probably useful to have two different views of the Probability Meter.

I have changed the original view to consider the probability of Oktoberfest occurring. By definition, if there is an Oktoberfest, we will attend, and do the Bier Immersion.

A second view now considers the probability that Oktoberfest may not occur, but travel will be permitted, enabling the Bier Immersion. We may still visit München, but without the 'Wiesn.

Hopefully this keeps us communicating more accurately.

Vaccination Scheduled for Thursday.

Just got it scheduled.  Pfizer.  

Lower the Probability Meter Again?

 Latest update on Germany.

More Detailed Train Pass Analysis

I did some further investigating this morning to determine the usefulness of a German Rail Pass vs. individual tickets. As with everything, the answer is "it depends". With the following caveats, the Rail Pass still looks good, but border with a 7-day pass.

- I used Saver Fares which require an advance purchase of at least 3 days

- All fares are one-way except for two roundtrips from Bamberg to Kulmbach.

-Does not include an additional trip of München to Berlin for those of us considering flying to München a day early and then training to Berlin. 

Attendance Probability Meter

With nothing else to do this morning, I have created an Attendance Probability Meter that is displayed on the right-hand side of the blog. You can click on the image for a larger view. Please check it out and let me know your thoughts.

Do you agree with the current probability? I will keep it updated as we see events unfolding, particularly in Germany. Also, keep me informed of your probability thoughts.

Prost.

 So Microsoft asked me about this 1970's retro looking place on my sign on screen.    Can anybody tell me the location? 

Here s the answer.  I did guess Munich but did not go as far as naming Mariwzenplatz 

Pedestrian tunnel in Marienplatz Station, Munich, Germany

It's been estimated that more than 175,000 passengers use Marienplatz Station on a typical weekday, making it likely the busiest stop in Munich's U-bahn rail system. Good thing then that the station, originally opened in 1971, was expanded with additional pedestrian tunnels like this one beginning in 2003. We're looking down one of the two long 'extension tubes' that resemble something out of a Kubrick film.

This retro design was intentional—the construction expands on the original architecture of the station's platforms, with bright orange tile, black trim, and snaking lines of ceiling lights. The tunnels were finished in time for one of the main reasons for the expansion—the 2006 World Cup (and all those teeming football fans) held right here in Munich.

Leipzig Bier Garden

Bayerischer Banhof Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei is a brewery set in a historic and revitalized train station in downtown Leipzig. 

More History

Bayerischer Banhof Gasthaus Website

2001 Bamberg Part II

 

2001 Bamberg trip

 AFAIK, We've only been once.  And I guess it wasn't Dopplebach...  someone else in our crew.  I happened to like the refreshing taste of smoke.  It's like a cigar and beer all in one!

Last trip was 20 years ago.  Time flies.

World's oldest brewery

 No longer in business. Probably Covid related..

Egypt Unearths 'World's Oldest' Mass-production Brewery (ibtimes.com)

Oktoberfest trip site upgrade complete

 You can tell it's cold and not so great here in San Diego.  I completed upgrade to version 3.0.  Thanks for all your comments.

Added a Gallery of Photos, and enhance places to go,  including spots on this years trip!

We are looking for more photos..  send them my way!

Oktoberfest Trip History Site

Another Bier Immersion Participant Confirmed

That's right, after all your write-in ballots and lobbying efforts, Designated Walker will be joining our merry band of Oktoberfestians. While she will certainly not be immersing herself in bier, we do hope she lives up to her moniker to ensure we make it back to our hotels.

Please welcome Designated Walker as our latest Participant.

Must visit in Cologne

 

We were there 12 years ago, drinking "Kölsche Stange" and eating "Hachse met Sauerkraut".

 https://www.frueh.de

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kölsch_(beer)

Koln/Cologne

I am very excited about planning our stay in Koln.  Or Cologne.  

My first visit there was in 1976 with my parents,  on a river cruise.    Shot of the famous church.  Will we climb up the spire??

Be Careful What You Ask For

Over the past weekend I was talking with my sister. She has always wanted to go to Germany, and we were discussing this year's trip. I told her Designated Walker wanted to go, but would not go unless she went. I then got the usual, "too expense", "don't have the time", "can't leave husband that long", etc.

During the call she then began to ask the usual questions; how much? what cities? etc. I knew she was circling the bait. Yesterday I got a text from her asking more questions; where do we fly into/out of? how do we get from city to city? where will we stay? I jerked and set the hook. Now it will be interesting to see if I can reel her in.

This Year's Oktoberfest Logo Revealed

 https://www.oktoberfest.de/en/magazine/oktoberfest-news/2021/oktoberfest-poster-2021

Uh Oh, News from The Fatherland

Well gang, I emailed Anton about rooms and here is his response. I hope he is wrong, but maybe we need to discuss contingency plans.

=====================

Dear Keith,

nice to hear from you.

This year we´ll have to wait at least until April.

Nobody knows, what´s in September.

At the moment, we cannot imagine, that Octoberfest will take part.

In January I would have said at a rate of 95%.

Now the chances are better, but it could be the calmness before the storm; in any way!

I am not sure, how about the next spring. Would it continue again, we´re forced to think about the business at all.

Bavaria anyway has stricter rules, as the rest of Germany. Permittance to entrance the festival only with a special passport or only for nationals? That seems impossible to control and not human. If everything is going relatively normal soon, for sure, I will consider you request.

Lot´s of greetings

Anton

History Site re-vamped and ready for incriminating photos.

Updated Rosters and other fun webby stuff.   Looking forward to travelling again.

Oktoberfest History Page

Here's a shot from 2018...

Three visitors confirmed!

Happy to announce that we have three new visitors for our Immersion 2021 Tour!

We remember one visitor; "Beergärtner" (we know him from last year) and his wife "Beercap". They will join in Köln. And the third? I like to keep it a secret. Today I arranged hotel rooms in Munich.

The Other Boys at Weihenstephan

 

Proof that we are a spiritual bunch

  Here's a shot of Chugger reading from The Book at Weihenstephan.  

Oldest Breweries in the world

 We have been to a few of these!!!

Worlds Oldest Breweries

Singing in German is ‘riskiest’ for spreading COVID-19, study finds

 Trilling in the German language poses a greater risk than crooning in Japanese, according to this research into how singing can spread COVID-19.

Last year, scientists found the language you speak could play a role in the transmission of COVID-19, because of aspirated consonants. In English, for instance, the letter ‘P’ creates a puff of air, emitting respiratory droplets.  https://tinyurl.com/y5uctpdz

Pretty scaring ....... I only know two English Oktoberfest songs. So let's hope they don't implement this protective measure. By the way, the ones I know: Sweet Caroline and Take me home.

Updated Documents

I have updated the Participants document and fixed some errors in the Itinerary document. See the links above.

Updated Proposed Itineray

After a week of consultation with the Oktoberfest Planning Committee during our winter meeting in Florida, we are proposing updates to the Bier Immersion 2021 itinerary. This update includes an additional day to explore and sample bier in Kulmbach, as well as extra time in München. Initial arrivals in Berlin on 14 September, with departure from München on 28 September.

Dates are still flexible, so please review the various documents and give us your thoughts. More/less time in various cities? Ignore a city? 

It is time to start assigning responsibility for hotel procurement, so please opine as soon as you can. Two documents above detail our plans and current participants:

    Proposed Itinerary

    Attendees

Also, please let me know if I screwed something up.

Bamberg Bier Gardens

Klosterbräu Bamberg

Klosterbräu (formerly the Fürstbischöffliche Braunbierbrauerei) is Bamberg's oldest brewery, dating from 1533. The pub itself has the usual wide arch (formerly for access to the brewery at the rear) with a room on either side. The larger room to the right houses the bar counter. The interior is very simple but pleasant. You know the score by now: wooden floor, panelled walls, pine-topped tables, beamed ceiling. The same faces keep popping up in the many old photographs adorning the walls, so I would guess that they are of the former owners of the brewery (they appear to be pretty comfortably off). On the street outside there are a few tables for those who like their drinking al fresco.

The food is excellent and the staff very friendly. Recommended is the Schwärzla, a black beer unlike anything else brewed in Bamberg.

Brauerei Spezial

Spezial is an absolute must for the Rauchbier fans amongst you. With no fewer than four different varieties (five including the bock in the Winter) it must be the world leader in smoked beer. It's also very handily placed, directly opposite Fässla.

The building is an attractve, ancient, half-timbered job, with an old-fashioned wrought iron sign (sporting the equally tradtional brewer's symbol of a six-pointed star). You should be able to guess by now what to expect inside: dark wood panelling, long pine tables, animal skulls. In one corner, atop a small bar sit wooden barrels and, yes, these are real ones. 

A New Recurring Feature...

Thought I would occupy some of my time, and as a result, your time with this new feature of the Blog. Occasionally I will highlight some bier halls/bier gardens in the cities we hope to visit this year. This is just for educational purposes, your mileage may vary, and we may not even visit them. Please give your thoughts, and maybe other alternatives in that city that you may be aware of. 

Oh and by they way.... Happy New Year, or Frohes Neues Yahr for the locals. 

Let's get started with Köln:

Bierhaus en d’r Salzgass

Cozy and stylishly decorated, this is where locals have been coming for beer since the 19th century. Today it belongs to Päffgen brewery and serves authentic German dishes.

Bierhaus am Rhein

Part of the same Päffgen brewery, Bierhaus am Rhein has the same menu and offers views of the Rhine and park at Frankenwerft.

Papa Joe's Klimperkasten

If you’re more interested in music and beer than in food, check out $$ Papa Joe’s Klimperkasten, a dark pub packed with memorabilia and live jazz daily (Gaffel on tap, live piano jazz Sun-Thu).

A Writ from God Version II

I recently emailed our bier drinking idol Larry Hawthorne of The Beer Drinker's Guide to Munich fame. He did return my email, and I feel honored once again to be speaking with the esteemed one. While his response was very long, I include some of it below, edited for brevity (I know, it is still very long). This does give some insight into what could lie ahead of us if we perfect our bier consumption activities. 

Hey, Chugger,

I've been remiss with my correspondence.  I apologize for not getting back to you.  Still around and generally traveling a lot.  Not much to Munich, of course, in the past year or most of 2019 for that matter.  I was getting serious about an 8th edition of the BDG2M, but I let it slip another year and then along came Covid.  ...

If things open up again next year I'll get moving on an update.  This time there will be a Kindle edition and a limited print run.  ... But, I like to do it, so there is still an eighth edition in me somewhere.  I've been retired from my day job for some 16 years now and have dabbled in different things.  ...

We are still very active with the adult LEGO community (damn, that almost sounds pornographic) and regularly attend LEGO builders and designers conventions in Australia (January) and Chicago (June) each year.  ... we travel around the US half the time and the rest is a lot of travel in Europe (Prague is our landing spot as Eliska is Czech and we have an apartment there).  ...

...

It would be great to meet up with you guys sometime.  Cannot believe how long it's been and you've walked in my footsteps and occasionally I've walked in yours (tried to leave a copy for your next visit with the folks running Shakespears there in Munich around the corner from the Hauptbahnhof).  I think Barleyman and Paulaner Girl live in the San Diego area?  We're often in Hemet, high desert area of Inland Empire area there in SoCal.  We've got a place there.  Might try to meet them if they're available sometime over at Stone in Escondido and have a few bitter ales if they're interested.   ROADTRIP  ! ! !

As it is, we're in Hawaii and have been here since early February.  We were coming through here from our Australia trip in January to stay for a month or two, as we usually do.  But the Covid got worse and we decided to stay right here and ride it out.  ... We're domiciled in Henderson, NV (Las Vegas) as you probably know.  Essentially it was for tax reasons but it's really on wheels there.  ... we're looking elsewhere to relocate, maybe Nashville area in Tennessee.  I love bluegrass and play banjo, fiddle and guitar, so in my old age I'm really getting into jamming the music.

Meanwhile, all the best to you guys.  I always thought you and your gang were hilarious in the things you do and the way you approach the wonderful art of drinking beer.  Lots of it.  I mean that IS what it's all about, as you were all able to break the code first.  I think it might have been around the third edition that you guys became early adopters of The BDG2M.  You left me a positive review on Amazon once that more or less said, "he gets it".  You were alluding to the fact that it was all about the immersion in the culture and the beer and that there was nothing to be self-conscious about, just because it was a hell of a lot of fun.  There was a time when even the title of the book, "The Beer Drinker's Guide" felt risky.  I mean, not exactly the Great American Novel, that one.  But it WAS the perfect title, and you guys confirmed it for me.  That really made a difference to me, believe it or not.  Because, you know, I actually was thinking I do get it but I need someone else to agree with the conclusion.  And you guys did, even to the point of spinning off your own tour businesses for a while.  

All the best, Keith (Chugger) and regards to the whole gang.  I look forward to us meeting sometime and lifting a few Maß.

 

Prosit!

Larry 

Speaking of Train Passes

With all of our expected travel for the Bier Immersion, German Rail passes are in order. With the proposed itinerary, we have 6 different days of travel that will require a train. Deutsche Bahn offers passes for 5 or 7 days within a month, so the 7 day pass would seem appropriate. It would then give us an extra day trip while in München.

There are 2 flavors of the rail pass; Single and Flexi. The Flexi allows two Oktoberfestians to travel on the same pass. While it costs more for the pass, it is not twice the price, so $$ are saved:

    1 Single Rail Pass    256 €

    1 Twin Pass              388 €

So, two Oktoberfestians with a Single Pass each would pay a total of 512 €, but those same two Oktoberfestians with a Twin Pass would only pay 388 €. 124 € for bier!

Unfortunately these passes are only for non-EU Oktoberfestians, sorry Barbus.

More Bier Immersion Stuff

 Ok, Ok, Ok......

Being the AOC (Anal Oktoberfestian [Chugger]) that I am, I am trying to end this year with everyone thinking about and planning for our Bier Excursion in 2021; Covid and travel restrictions permitting. We have had some discussions in previous threads, but in all honestly, not much enthusiasm; Flying Dan and BarleyMan excepted. This is my last attempt to generate some ongoing enthusiasm. What else is there to do when most of us have some form of limited or total shutdown? Unlike our normal trips, this will require some planning and coordination, and I'm sensing an "attitude" from some (no fingers being pointed). The alternative is Flying Dan and I (with a rendezvous with BarleyMan) are on our way and we may or may not see you.

So, I have created a planning document that will be kept up-to-date with our decisions. This will make it easier than trying to keep up with multiple posts. We should still use the various posts for discussion and other recommendations. 

You can use the link above in the header, or access the document from here. 

Updated Proposed Itinerary

I have made a couple changes to the proposed itinerary just to try and spur some activity as we approach the end of the year.

Barbus... Say it isn't so!

 

Holland-made Tecate beer masquerading as Mexican

Rare photo from the early days of Oktoberfesters quest

 

Some Information About Kulmbach...

 Learn about the new venue as proposed by Flying Dan:

General Wikipedia Information

Plassenburg Castle

Kulmbacher Bratwürst

TripAdvisor Info

Kulmbacher Brauerei (possibly the most important) 

An interesting bier

1st Proposed Daily Itinerary

 Here is the first draft of a daily itinerary for next year's trip. Questions to be discussed:

1. Are these the right cities?
2. Enough/too much time in each?

Have at it...

Trick or Treat. It is a treat!

 Happy Halloween.  Here is my Hacker-Pschorr Hefeweizen t the Manderville bier garten in Sarasota

Happy Halloween

 

Oktoberfest 2020

 

Proposed Trip Logo

Courtesy of Barbus, here's a suggestion for a logo for our trip.

Thoughts? Other ideas?

Just for fun I picked a 11 day excursion to see what the airfare looked like end of March first of April.  I know they can't go out much further than that.  I found a TAP Portugal flight from ORD to LIS (1.5 hour layover) to TXL for $204.00.  It was a bout a 13 hour flight.  The return out of MUC to LIS (5 hour layover) to ORD was $277.00.  It is a 17 hour flight!  Includes no seat selection but does allow for one carry on and a personal item.  Total of $481.00   I will say Delta and American and their partners are no way close to these numbers.   What the heck, they look like jets (Well kinda they are Airbus) and the seating looks the same.  I always sit in the back as I would be the last to hit the water. 

a day late.

Bier Immersion 2021 - Part 1

Ok, the first draft of next year's Bier Immersian 2021 trip has come a little quicker than I thought. If you are reading this before the previous post, please read that one first to set the stage.

I am suggesting the following bier immersion for our trip. This includes five different locations and bier styles prior to the culmination of the trip in München. We will start in the north and work our way south, visiting these cities and sampling their bier (remember, this is just a suggested itinerary. add value if you can):

Berlin: Berliner Weiße

Berliner Weiße is a light and sour wheat beer, which is sweetened by a shot of himbeer (raspberry) or waldmeister (woodruff-flavored) syrup giving it a candy-colored red or green color.

Leipzig: Gose

This unusual beer is spiced with coriander seeds and - unlike any other German beer - it is brewed with lightly salty water and features a sourness.

Dusseldorf: Altbier

A German style brown ale, “Alt” means old, and the name refers to the pre-lager brewing method of using warm top-fermenting yeast like British pale ales.

Cologne: Kölsch

Kölsch, meaning "of Cologne", locals are proud of their beer which is brewed exclusively in the Cologne region.

Bamberg: Rauchbier

The secret of this beer’s mild smoked flavor is the century-old process of drying malt over an open fire made from beech wood logs.

München: Helles, Weisbier, Dopplebock

Let the discussion begin.............

Oktoberfest 2021

What? Oktoberfest 2021? Even though this year's 'Fest has been cancelled, it would not have even started yet. Are you guys crazy?

Well, yes, we are probably crazy. But nonetheless, it is never too early to start planning an Oktoberfest trip. We have already begun informal discussions, and next year's trip is going to be a bit different.

We are discussing a trip that celebrates the different bier of Germany, not just München. We expect to start our sojourn somewhere in northern Germany, and work our way south sampling the different biers in different regions. This "pre-trip", if you will, will culminate with a traditional visit to Oktoberfest in München. Details of the bier immersion trip will start flowing shortly. Items to be discussed include, where do we go, how long are we there, how do we get from Point-A to Point-B, and so on. Current thoughts are 4-5 different cities, and 7-10 days of bier immersion.

Please stayed tuned in the next few days for the first draft of Bier Immersion 2021. Your input is extremely important. Where do we want to go? How long do we want to stay? Is it only bier focused or should we also immerse ourselves in culture? So much to decide. Maybe I should go have a cold one to get started.

If you are so inclined, you can also provide your input to the first draft prior to publication. Let me know your thoughts.

Prost !

Wurst Kase

British Airway Cancelled my London/Munich/London

It is official for me now.  BA cancelled my trip from London to Munich and the return.  I went to the BA manage your flight web page and could only request a voucher.  I called the help line and talked to a pleasant chap located in Germany who refunded my money to my credit card.

Painless, the US carriers could take a lesson on customer service from those folks at BA!

Just waiting for American to cancel my flight to London and the fight not to get a voucher!!

Oktoberfest Trip Website update with latest news.

Dang.  Next year will be tough with the wedding. 

Oktoberfest Trip Officially Cancelled

I'll Probably Be Cancelling

Delta just cancelled one of my flights.

Western Swing?

John, Keith and David

I just looked at an email form SWAirlines on a big fare sale.  Flights out of CVG to Albuquerque for example is around $300 round trip .  Bags fly free!!


OUT of MDW (Chicago) $238 dollars to Albuquerque  round trip in September

Just some data points if we do a western swing trip.  Of course David it would be an eastern swing, but he has always leaned the wrong way!  Ha Ha

Doesn't look hopeful

 Source: Rick Steves' Europe Group

Current betting odds on the trip????

Never thought we'd be in a position like this. 

I'd say we are at 60% chance of going... 

Never loose another Golf Club again!

ADVERTISEMENT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUqWj3w4NC0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93LSDlll4sg

German Travel Ban Extended

Paulaner Girl brought this to my attention...

German Travel Ban Extended

It's now out to August 31st.  Cutting it close.  Of course,  if Americans behave, follow prudent guidelines,  we don't spread the virus,  and our infection/mortality rate goes down,  then we are in good shape!

Look at this.  I finally  can have a bier with my buddies.  Chappy's has opened!  They have six foot distance taped on the top of the bar.  We took four chairs.  They took one away.    Six foot down there was a two chair section.  Six foot from those two chairs another set of chairs and the pattern continued around the bar.  The bar was busy with most places taken. 

This is the first day for the opening of bars and restaurants in Ohio. By the way the bier tasted great!  Just to let the team know, Keith was complaining about being retired and John was happy that the COVID-19 cure might be nicotine based.  That is what I learned tonight.

Argh.. Delta cancels then changes flights

I was the next victim of flight changes due to the 'rona. Delta cancelled some flights, but were kind enough to rebook me. However, apparently their rebooking system sucks. They rebooked connecting flights that depart before the first flight even arrives.

Oh well, got everything worked out and even going the day earlier as we all discussed. Probably all for naught though, will we actually go?

Prost.

Will Oktoberfest 2021 be extended by a week?

Guys have no fear, make room for a beer!

https://www.oktoberfesttours.travel/2020/05/14/will-oktoberfest-2021-be-extended/

Pre Mother's Day Beer Call

A really nice Hazy IPA from Mikkeller Brewing here in San Diego.  Cheers.