Christmas Markets and the Perchtenlauf

Tuesslinger Schloss Christkindlmarkt

The Christmas season has finally kicked off in Germany and I've decided that this really is the best time of year to be in Germany. I think it's because you can really feel the Christmas spirit here. Maybe it has to do with the Christmas markets and the Gluhwein (mulled wine), the bright Christmas lights cheering up the towns, or the fact that everyone just seems happier.

Last weekend, we enjoyed the first Advent Sunday. Ronan came running into our bedroom to announce happy December 1 and to ask if he could he open his advent calendar window, only to realize there was no chocolate in it. A major disappointment that we have since rectified with a second Advent calendar with chocolate.

In Germany, each Advent Sunday is celebrated by lighting one of the candles on the Advent Kranz or wreath. Many German families get together on each Advent Sunday, four altogether leading up to Christmas, to light the candle, drink mulled wine and to sing Christmas songs. Ronan and I are enjoying having a kranz and lighting the candle each evening. Looking forward to lighting candle number 2 this weekend.

This year's first Christmas market took us to the Tussling Schloss, which is where we saw Elton John perform this summer. The castle also hosts a lovely Christmas market, with a laser show, puppet shows for children and brass bands playing Christmas carols. Ronan and I went with a few of my colleagues from work and had a great, but cold time. Ronan tried out a bit of archery, I picked up a few gifties, we enjoyed the sights, sounds and smells. My favorite Christmas smell is the mix of mulled wine and bratwurstl frying.


Ronan trying archery at the market

The other event we really enjoyed this past weekend and one that I had never heard of before was the Perchtenlauf (or Krampuslauf). I’m not really sure how to best translate this term, something like “Procession of the  Perchta.” Perchten refers to the animal masks of Perchta (or Percha) who was once a goddess figure in Southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland and in parts of Italy and Slovenia. Now it refers more to the frightening masks worn by the revellers who parade through alpine towns during the Perchenlauf, which is held around the St. Nicklaus' Day (Dec. 6), to scare away the evil spirits. 

Apparently there has been bit of a revival in the Perchtenlauf in the alpine areas in Germany. Here in Burghausen, the main street was shut down to traffic and folks lined up to watch the parade. We had the choice to view it from our living room window, but opted to at least start out watching from the street where all the action is.

We watched for an hour as the Perchten paraded down main street growling, whipping, and swatting adults and teenagers, and gently scaring those children who didn't seem too frightened, and even posing for photos. They paraded in groups, each representing a different town from around the area. The costumes included the intricate and very frightening wooden masks, lots of fur, there were witches and goblins and any other frightening creature you can imagine. I loved it, it was just so pagan. A great way to get folks out into the community. There was also a DJ booth that was blasting scary music up and down the street, announcing each group. There were a few Gluhwein stands. Everyone was just gathered to watch the spectacle. Ronan preferred to enjoy it from the window of our apartment. I stayed on the street just soaking in the atmosphere and even got swatted a few times, have the bruises to prove it.

Someone about to get swatted here.

Grandpa George comes to Visit

James and I lived in Germany from the late 80's through the mid 90's and my Dad just never had the time or finances to visit back then. This time around has been a different story. After living so long vicariously through his daughters, students, and friends, he's finally taken the time to do some traveling of his own and, at 81, finally came to visit us in Europe.
After recovering from jet lag, I took him on a tour around Burghausen and he and Ronan enjoyed the castle and the castle's current exhibition. We drove over to see the Black Madonna in Altoetting, and we enjoyed a day in Salzburg.

Salzburg Castle

We then went on a road trip to Vienna and Budapest. Unfortunately, we didn't have nearly enough time in Vienna, but we certainly enjoyed our visit to the Kunsthistorisches Museum there. We saw many works of art from the great Italian and Dutch Renaissance artists, including Titian, Poussin, Vermeer, Breugels. Ronan especially enjoyed the ancient Egyptian and Greek exhibits and we all enjoyed our cake and coffee in the museum cafe, what a beautiful and amazing piece of architecture in and of itself. Unfortunately we have no photos because we thought cameras were not allowed, in fact, they are, just no flashes.

Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna

Rathaus in Vienna

We spent the night in a cosy little pension in the town of Mosanmagyarovar, Hungary, called Feyak Fogado (about a half hour drive east of Vienna, also not far from Bratislave. It is a spa town and has over 250 dental practices. Apparently a lot of Austrians go to Hungary for major dental work because it's less expensive for those procedures not covered by insurance.

The pension was very inexpensive, comfortable, cosy, with a great breakfast. Almost didn't want to leave. From there we drove another two hours to Budapest the next day and spent 2 nights in another small pension called Hotel Mohacsi Panzio, which was clean, had personality, and a friendly and hospitable host.

None of us had ever been to Budapest before but we walked into town on the first day and first found ourselves facing the Danube River and the stunning view of the House of Parliament.

View of Buda from our balcony

  



In front of the House of Parliament building



and found a hop-on/hop-off bus tour for which we purchased a group two-day ticket. This enabled us to get around the city and see most of the sites. Budapest is actually two cities, Buda and Pest, divided by the not-always-so-blue Danube. It's a stunning old city with amazing architecture and history. Buda is characterized by the castle on the the hill and the citadel and by numerous parks. Pest has a more lively shopping and restaurant area along with the opera house, museum and Heroes Square, along with St. Stephen's Cathedral where you can see the holy right hand of St. Stephan. We also enjoyed the castle district where we walked around St. Matthew's Church and the Fisherman's Bastion.

St. Mattias Church

On day two, George and James enjoyed an afternoon at the new Cezanne exhibit at the art museum on Heroes Square while Ronan and I went to enjoy the baths. Budapest is situated on top of natural thermal springs and is therefore known as the city of spas with the Szechenyi Baths being the oldest. It's clearly a draw for the elderly crowd for its healing and rejuvenating waters. We saw many older men in the outdoor spa enjoying games of chess while soaking up the waters. I really appreciate the fact that Europeans really know how to enjoy the good life and make it accessible to everyone. We paid the equivalent of $10 for the afternoon, could even rent a robe or towel. Massages, spa treatments and saunas were also available to anyone. Maybe if we in the US were to spend some tax money on recreational infrastructure, we wouldn't have quite such an obesity problem. OK, moving on ;-)

Szechenyi Baths

I may have forgotten to mention that our second day in Budapest was my birthday, so after a great dip at the baths, we all met up again and found a cosy and traditional Hungarian restaurant and had a lovely meal, replete with lots of meat, potatoes, schnitzel, schweinhaxen. It was great to spend my birthday with my three favorite guys. I think my dad really enjoyed the trip, he was like a kid in a candy store who's eyes had been opened for the first time. We had a great chance to catch up and reconnect. I'm so grateful that even at his "advanced age" he is still able to travel. After he left us in Burghausen, he didn't head home, but was off to South Africa for further adventures. Go George!

On a last note, we also took him to Regensburg where we lived many years ago, it was great to share our favorite German city with him as well as enjoying an evening with old friends at the Goldene Ente.



On the old stone bridge in Regensburg with the clock tower in the background



Old friends from the Ente beer garden days

Ente Beer Garden in Spring

Fall is officially here...

and that means it's blogging weather. In other words, with shorter days and cooler nights, it's time to hunker down and reflect a bit on the summer and these past few beautiful autumn weeks. I believe the last time you heard from me was the end of July when I did my one and only official century bike ride. So, to catch up, I'll start with a quick run-down of the summer vacation.

As some of you know took a family trip to Scotland at the end of August. We mixed it up between visiting with James' family and heading up into the highlands. We rented a caravan centrally located on the Isle of Mull, one of the larger islands of the inner Hebrides and one that is a little bit off the beaten track. We enjoyed the beautiful scenery, visited some castles, enjoyed a great day on the beautiful and magical island of Iona where I enjoyed the best 2 hours of the entire vacation playing in the sand, dipping my feet in the water, and watching Ronan build sand castles with his pail and shovel. I should also mention, we had a lovely visit with my Paddy and Emmelence, my brother-and sister-in-law near the town of Castle Douglas in Galloway, south of Glasgow. There, we visited Drumlanrig Castle near Dumfries. We took a tour of the castle. It's quite an amazing place owned by the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch, who are almost the wealthiest landowners in Britain, second only to the queen. After the tour, I explored a bit of the estate by mountain bike which you can rent at the castle. Definitely recommended. James and Ronan enjoyed the adventure playground.

Duart Castle on Isle of Mull



Ronan and his sand castles on Iona

 The other highlight of the trip, of course, was my mother-in-law's 80th birthday party in James' hometown of Neilston, which he hadn't been back to in 17 years. It was the party of the decade for the village I'm sure. We got to meet lots of relatives who I had never met before but had heard about for years as well as nieces and nephews we hadn't seen since they were Ronan's age. Such a long time. James, his brother Joe, and his sister Mary entertained everyone with lots of great songs until the village's pipe and drum corps entered the parish hall to honor Betty on her birthday. It was a great night and I think the village is still talking about it.


 

Betty and her grown children



Neilston



Betty and the grandkids and great-grandkids

Needless to say, it was a great trip and it was wonderful to meet up again with family and to enjoy the beauty of Scotland. It had been a long time.

The Regensburg Arber Radmarathon



der Grosse Arber

As I explained in my last post, I have been training pretty hard for my first German Rad Marathon (Century Ride), the Regensburg Arber Radmarathon, which took place Sunday, July 29. As part of my training, I've been riding with two different groups on Wed and Sat. and sometimes also my new bike buddies Sven and Thomas (the night hiking guy). But a lot of the time I've gone out on my own, riding up and down the wastewater hill after work or doing a quick 40 kms down river to a town called Tittmoning and then back through Austria, there's a nice climb out of the river valley on that ride.

So the Arber Marathon leaves from Regensburg and heads out into the Bavarian Forest which goes as far as the border with the Czech Republic and also toward Austria. It's called the Aber Marathon because of the mountain you have to climb on the ride called the Arber (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gro%C3%9Fer_Arber) which is 1456 meters or 4777 ft in height. Well, I didn't climb the Arber because the Arber is only included in the 250km route with 3300 meters of climbing and my training this summer is not to that level. So I opted for the 170 km route or what the Germans called the Kleine Arber Runde or small Arber route, which involves riding 170 kms with 2200 meters of climbing. And even at that, I wasn't sure I was up to the task. Most of the Century rides I've ridden do not have that much climbing. Also, I also ended up registering for the ride knowing I was going solo because most of the other riders I knew were going for the 250 km. So no moral support from biking buddies, was especially going to miss riding on Trent's wheel.

So, off I headed to Regensburg the night before to hang out with our good friends Simon and Sigi and their boys Tristan and Sammy. I enjoyed a carb-filled spaghetti dinner and a relaxing evening watching a film and the Olympics before having to get up at the crack of dawn for my ride. One funny note, went to pick up my number on Sat night, and low and behold, big bicycle trade show, beer tables everywhere, and a band doing the sound check. And I knew the band from 20 years ago! Luis Trinkers Hohenrausch! Still around, still playing strong, talked to Bertl the lead singer for a few minutes. So cool! First song they sang: Iggy Pop's I am the Passenger (and I ride and I ride and I ride, so fitting).

the starting line

Sunday morning, up and out of the house and down to the start line for 7am start. Got there in time to see the 250 km riders start at 6am. Enjoyed an all-you-can-eat breakfast for EUR 5 and had plenty of time to use the bathroom, etc. Note on the bathroom, only one building with just a few toilets, with signage: Mens on one and Men and Women on the other. Hmm, more men riding than woman? For 6,000 riders, that's not a lot of bathrooms. Also, what I found particularly amusing was the young guy who was keeping the toilets well stocked with supplies and providing music on vinyl records. Johnny Cash was playing as I was waiting. He had also posted amusing signs in each of the stalls, one read: "The length of a minute depends on which side of the bathroom door you are standing on." Nice to have a bathroom attendent with a sense of humor.

So, onto the ride! Man, I was nervous. But everyone just said take your time, you have all day, don't try to keep up with anyone on the hills, go at your own pace. That is pretty much how I rode this ride. Once out of Regensburg, the first 50 kms or so had lots of rolling hills through many quiet villages, barely any traffic and very well signposted. The first stop was in Cham, a smaller town in the middle of the Bavarian forest near the Czech border, felt pretty good but I knew that what I had just ridden was nothing compared to what was to come (check https://www.arberradmarathon.de/touren/ if you want to look at the routes). I did draft here and there, but once we hit the hills I just went at my own pace so it was hard to draft with a larger group.

The second 50kms was the really mountainous part of the ride, we rode a few hills, the hardest in this lot was getting to the top of Kolmberg, where the second rest stop was. This was quite a climb, had some steep parts, but never was I more thankful for the triple ring on my bike and my granny gear, which I proudly used. Went down into that gear and just kept pedaling. Made it to the rest stop thinking the worst was behind me, climbing-wise. Hmm. Well the first good surprise, was the Coca-Cola stand, I was so happy to see it and thought of the Birch Bay rest stop on the Tour de Whatcom back home that always had Coke to get tired riders back home. I drank ample amounts and enjoyed the excellent food, but missed peanut butter! The second, not so good surprise, was the thunderstorm that passed through during this break, got totally dowsed while waiting for it to pass. Ran into my new friend Hans, who was giving me a lift back to Burghausen later that day, he told me the highest climb was yet to come, the Maibrunn (15% slope). Geez. Well, he was riding the 250km ride and had already ridden the Arber.

Once the rain subsided, back on the bike and down the Kolmberg mountain which was nerve-wracking because of the wet roads and almost no braking power, not to mention the other cyclists whizzing past me. I was worried about getting out of control, esp. if a sharp turn came out of nowhere with no brakes. You just never know what to expect in uncharted territory. Luckily I made it off the Kolmberg safely, the sun came out, back into green Bavarian farmland, to face the Maibrunn. Once I saw where the climb started and the other cyclists beginning to pump up the mountain, I took a moment to stop, take off my rain jacket, swallow some coke, eat a caffein jelly bean, then I got up on my bike, into granny gear and started climbing. It wasn't so bad, it felt never-ending and the initial incline was definitely steep, but it leveled off after a while, became steep again, and then leveled off. I even passed a few riders going up and I could hear another rider close behind me. The worst thing about hill climbing is when you aren't familiar with the hill or mountain because you don't know when it's going to end or what's around the next corner, so preserving energy is key when doing a ride for the first time, at least in my opinion. Well, I made it to the top! No cramps, no stopping, no walking, 901 meters or 2952 ft (though we didn't start from the bottom, not fully down to sea level). As I reached the top, this German rider came up from behind and thanked me for pulling him up the mountain. Hmm, I'll be darned. Maybe I'll crack this thing after all, then I asked him if the worst was over and he said yes, but there was still Saulberg to go. Groan, another mountain. Well after the Maibrunn, I felt like I could climb just about anything.

I can't remember what part of the ride this picture is from, but I could see riders in the distance riding the hill behind these farmhouses. Thought it made for a good photo. The one benefit of riding on your own is that you can go at your own pace, but also stop without feeling bad about making your buddies stop with you for photo ops.

The last and final rest stop was just after Saulberg climb, which was nothing compared to the last few. The remainder of the route was a nice flat 40 miles up the Danube with a strong head wind. Lovely! I knew I was going to have to hook up with a group for this last part or it was going to be a lonely hard slog. But not before enjoying a good cold brew! Yes, folks, the last German rest stop had a beer stand with, get this, free beer! Wheat beer, lagers, alcohol free, it was all there. Never in America! I had to indulge! Another thing I noticed on this ride was the

lack of porto potties and lines and lines of riders waiting to use them. There were 2000 riders on my route alone and probably 6,000 or more riders altogether. How is it that there were only 2 porto potties at every rest stop with no lines. Well, I'll tell ya! I saw lots of mostly male riders stopping to pee by the side of the road or heading into the cornfields to do some business. What we would call public urination is not as strict in Europe as it is back home, and as we were out in the countryside, no one really cared.  The fact is Europeans just aren't quite as prudish about bodily functions as we are, not to mention the body in general. So, one beer down and off I went for the last 40 kms and sure enough, killer headwind. I rode about 10kms on my own, thinking that this might be the worst part of the whole day and maybe this is where it would all go to hell. Oh Trent, where was your wheel for that last 40 kms? Suddenly, a lone rider passed me and I jumped onto his wheel and held on for dear life. Then a few more kms down the road, a whole group passed us and he jumped in with them and so did I, but they were speeding along at a fast 30-35 kmh. Each time it looked like I was going to drop off, a rider from behind would pass, jump in, and I would get on his wheel. I hung tight for 20 kms, but when I saw the sign 10 km to go and the group appeared to jump to light speed, I allowed myself to drop off and head into town on my own steam. It was so good to ride into Regensburg, I  passed the area of town where I used to work, one of the movie theaters where we used to go, and onto Dultplatz where I was welcomed with lots of clapping and there was my very good friend Sigi right at the finish line cheering me on! What a buzz! My goal had been to be at the finish at 4pm and I arrived a five to four. Ride time 7 hrs 18 min, average speed of 23.7 kmh, and 173 km. Not bad at all. And, in the swag bag, there was a new cycling shirt, tickets for two free beers and a free meal. There's nothing like having a friend to meet you at the finish line and all the beer and food there waiting for you! No, definitely not bad at all. Can't wait for the next Radmarathon!

Riders enjoying a well-deserved
 beer at the last rest stop

Biking

This post is dedicated to my biking buddies in Bellingham:
It took a bit of time, some networking and posting flyers at the local sports club, but I finally found some folks go ride with. I go out with a loosely-organized group of guys on Wednesday evenings. We head out at 5:30 for about 50-80 kms, depending on weather and what the group decides on the day. It's a pretty fast group and I do struggle to keep up, but they are kind enough to wait form me. So that's my Wednesday group.
I've also found a bike club in the next town up the road, in fact, the Pope's home town of Marktl. Let me tell you it's a happening place. A gas station, small pub and cafe, the Pope's birth house and a big statue of dedicated to him across the street. That's about it. But it's at the base of a tough climbing hill called the Bruckberg. It took me a while to get the nerve to try it, but one night on a training ride with the group right after a rain storm, they all decided to go for it. It wasn't as bad as I thought, but a nice 10% climb with several switchbacks. I've gotten used to it now. OK, back to the club, they are called the Radclub (Rad as in Fahrrad or bicycle) Ritzelfuchser (the most approximate translation I can come up with is "Gear Geeks").  A Ritzel is the rear sprocket, a Fuchs is a fox, but can be used to refer to someone who's an expert in something. Anyway, I've ridden with them twice now and they go at a good pace but were very welcoming and made sure I didn't get left behind. Through their website, I've discovered that Century rides are referred to as Rad Marathons (bike marathon).
On that note, a little bit about the landscape in this part of Bavaria. We are in the foothills of the Alps, which I can see from my apartment window. I thought we had hills in Bellingham, well they're nothing to the hills here. We go for a 70 km ride and will do a good number of climbs, often times an incline of 10%. Not that I'm complaining, it's just that when you think you're about to be done with one climb, there's another one. Part of the adjustment has been learning the terrain around here, knowing when the climb is coming and how steep or long. Not knowing makes it hard to know how much energy to conserve, but I'm getting the hang of it. This is a major agricultural region, lots of farm land with small villages, which all look alike (even the local churches have a similar architecture), but fabulous, quiet back roads with very little traffic, great for good riding, and well signposted.

On that note, I have registered for my first Rad Marathon in my old stomping ground of Regensburg. Not sure I'm ready for it, but am going to try for it anyway. 170 km (105 miles approx.), but with 2200 m (7200 ft) of climbing (https://www.arberradmarathon.de/rennrad-tour-b/). I'm not sure I'm getting the distance in for training, but I am working on hill climbing. For example, at the plant where I work, the wastewater treatment plant is on the Salzach river at the bottom of the hill. A nice 10% climb. I do it a few times a week on my Wacker bike. Last week, I rode my road bike to work and rode it a few times. I think it's making a difference. But I won't know till I get out and do the big ride.

Midnight Hiking in the Alps



Untersberg



view from halfway up Untersberg

Yesterday was Friday. I was looking forward to back-to-back days of biking to train for my upcoming Rad Marathon, however the weather wasn't looking too promising for Saturday. In fact, Ronan's school sports day, which was scheduled for Saturday, was canceled. So I figured biking might not be an option. Then I got a call from our new friend Thomas, the father of one of Ronan's friends from school. I've been biking with him a few times and our families play pick-up soccer together. Last Friday, we went cycling along with his brother-in-law and another friend. He told me to bring my bathing suit, so I did. I really didn't expect to go swimming, but we ended up at a Badesee (swimming lake) and I ended up getting talked into swimming across the lake and back. Got home and felt like I had done 2/3 of a triathalon. Thomas is the kind of person who pushes you into doing things you're not sure you want to do, but once you've done them, you're glad you did it.

So when he called yesterday and proposed that James and I join him, his wife, and another friend on an evening hike, I had an inkling of what I might be getting into. He said we leave at 5:00 pm when you're done with work, Ronan can stay with our kids, we'll hike 3 hours up the mountain and 2 hours down in the dark, back at the car around 11 pm and home by midnight, weather report looks good, should be a good view. He said it was not a dangerous mountain, he hikes it all the time, just bring good shoes, a snack and lots of water. Since the weather had cleared up that afternoon and stopped raining, James and I agreed we should just go for it.

We arrived at Thomas's house just at 5pm and were off to a late start cause Ronan got slightly lost on his bike on the way there. Off we went in their VW van toward Salzburg. The mountain in question on this adventure is called Untersberg. It lies just to the north of Salzburg.

Thomas said it would be a nice leisurely hike up and then back down the mountain. Well, leisurely it was not. First of all, due to the late start, he opted that we take the ski piste trail instead of the switchbacks. This meant that we were hiking fairly much straight upwards for the first 500 meters, then we got onto the forest trail, which was not near as steep and made for good going, but then it led back to the ski trail and back to hiking on a step incline, mix of grass, rock, and skree. James and I were able to keep up, barely. They hiked at a good pace and have clearly done this hike many times. In fact, Monica, Thomas' wife told me that he often bikes to the mountain from Burghausen, hikes it and then bikes home (50 hilly kms each way). This guy also bikes from Burghausen to Croatia (700kms) in three days going practically non-stop and doing at least two mountain passes along the way. So he is pretty darn fit. In fact, he's invited me to go with him on his next trip to Croatia, but I'm pretty sure I'm not ready for that adventure yet.

Anyway, back to the mountain. It took well over three hours to get to the peak, we made it by about 10:30 pm after Thomas telling us about 4 times that it was just another 20 minutes. I was so ready to stop at the first peak, but he insisted we go all the way to the Hochthron (main peak). We did get a fabulous view of Salzburg, which was lit up like a Christmas tree and we could see the line of traffic on the Munich autobahn.



 

 While enjoying the view, it was all I could do not to think about how hard it was going to be to descend in the dark. I tend to go a lot slower going down than up. I didn't have ankle-high hiking boots, which I knew was going to be a problem. I was worried that I'd twist or break an ankle on the skree going down. The Austrians all had these hiking poles, neither James nor I did, big disadvantage on the way down. Instead of snacking at the top, we decided we'd go back to the Berghuetten halfway down the mountain to snack, then we'd have a good bit of the descent behind us. Surprisingly we had quite a lot of light still at the beginning of our descent, it wasn't quite proper dark and we had the glare of the city lights to help us. Unfortunately, I did not underestimate the discomfort of the descent. By about a quarter of the way down, my thighs were burning and my pace slowed. The rest of the group waited for me at each turn. It was important to stick together at this point. There really was nothing to do but keep going, intensely focused on each step and where I placed my feet. I did fall a few times, but it was those slow motion falls that you can brace for as you're going down. Made it to the Berghuette (mountain hut used in the winter by skiers) where we snacked and rested, and where it began to lightly rain.

The remainder of the descent was even more difficult because once we got below the treeline, we no longer benefited from the glare of the city lights and the rain made the grass and rocks wet and slippery. I did some good butt-sliding because my thighs were just giving out, I had a bad case of jelly legs. We eventually and miraculously (to me) made it to the dirt road which we chose to take the rest of the way, even though it was slightly longer, instead of continuing down the steep ski trail. I don't think my legs could have handled any more of the steepness and I was grateful for the mild incline of the road. Thomas told me they hike this mountain in winter, equipped with plastic bags, which they then use to sled down the mountain in about 20 minutes. That sounded much better to me than hiking it down. Finally, we all made it back to the car, tired and exhausted, but safe and sound, by 1 am. Wow, 6 1/2 hours of hiking. Can't remember the last time I've done a hike that steep and that long. Needless to say I'm having trouble getting around today, hope it rains tomorrow, so I don't have to do my bike training.

I have to say that these folks who live in the or near the Alps are a hearty, tough, physically fit people, I thought we in the northwest were tough, but I've been put in my place. Nothing like knowing there's lots of room for improvement. Hmm, I might have to go biking tomorrow after all.

p.s. When we picked Ronan up from Thomas's house today, Thomas had just come back from jogging, Monica was off jogging in the evening, and they wanted to know if we want to play football on Sunday. See what I mean by tough? Thomas is already talking about our next hiking and biking adventure. Well, I now definitely know what to expect and hopefully me and my thighs will be ready.

James at the top of Untersberg

Slovenia: Land of Karst Caves and Robber Knight Castles

This is an article I wrote (and got paid for) 15 years ago about our last trip to Slovenia. You all might find it interesting.

          “Where is it?”  “Wasn’t it part if Czechoslovakia?” “What was it like?”
            These are the most frequently asked questions that arise when I attempt to describe my recent trip to Slovenia. To answer the first three questions, this small country lies southeast of Austria and was once part of Yugoslavia. It should not be confused with Slovakia, previously of Czechoslovakia. It gained its independence as borders were being redrawn across eastern Europe after the fall of communism.

            When my husband, James and I arrived in Slovenia, we decided to try to avoid the tourist beaches and the crowded coastal campgrounds. Instead, we headed for the lush green lesser-known area of the Postojna Basin, about an hour’s drive south of Ljubljana. It is 620 m in altitude and is the lowest passage between the Dinarics and the Alps. The Pivka River runs through this area, abruptly disappearing into the subterranean caves and caverns which it has been carving out for thousands and thousands of years.

These caves and caverns, otherwise known as Karst caves, rank among the most spectacular and easiest accessible in Europe. One of the best starting points to explore Slovenia’s Karst caves is the Postojna Cave, just outside of the town of Postojna. Here, there are 27 kms of subterranean passages and galleries with fantastic stalagmite and stalactite rock formations sculpted by centuries of cascading water. An electric train takes you nine kilometers underground where the temperature remains at a constant 8°C.

           An experienced guide leads you through numerous illuminated galleries and points out many impressive rock formations that look like, among other figures: hens, poodles, a man riding a camel, spaghetti and the most impressive of all formations called the Brilliant – an 18m high pure white column formed from the drippings of pure limestone. This cave is also home to the Proteus Anguinus, the human fish.

            The last gallery on the tour is the concert hall reaching 40 meters in height, holding up to 10,000 people and having unique acoustics – an echo lasting up to six seconds. Upon visiting the Postojna Cave the famous sculptor, Henry Moore remarked “This is the greatest and most wonderous of all galleries I have ever seen.”  These illuminated subterranean galleries certainly make you appreciate Nature’s artistic endeavors and are an unforgettable optical experience.

            The Pivka Jama Campground is located three or four kilometers down the road from the Postojna Caves. We decided to stay there for a few days and use it as our base point. Not only is it a first class campground ideally located in a pine forest with tennis courts and a swimming pool, but it also has its own Karst cave: Pivka Jama or Pivka Cave. A stone hewn stairway just next to the campground restaurant leads you down into more impressive subterranean tunnels and galleries of stalactites.

            Not far from Pivka Jama Cave and Campground is Predjama Castle, stronghold of the last valiant knight of Slovenia, Erasmus of Predjama. From the platform in front of the village inn you see a splendid view of the newly renovated Predjama Castle amazingly situated in a high rocky hollow with its own subterranean Karst caves formed by the Lovka River below. The castle itself is a masterpiece of medieval design and craftsmanship beautifully in tune with the nature surrounding it. The Patriarch of Aquilieia, the Hapsburg family, Ivan Kobenzl, who in 1570 commissioned the construction of the castle as it is today, are among its many different owners. But the most famous owner was surely Erasmus of Predjama.

            Legend has it that in the second half of the 15^th century Erasmus became a robber knight after falling out of favour with Emperor Frederick III. Enraged, the Emperor commanded Gaspar Ravbar, governor of Trieste, to seek out and kill Erasmus. Having discovered Erasmus’ secret castle, Ravbar and his army proceeded to besiege Erasmus for over a year. Thanks to underground caves and passages leading to the neighboring Vipava valley Erasmus was able to replenish his food supplies, mocking and bewildering his besiegers by throwing them roast oxen and fresh cherries.

In 1484, after bribing a servant of Erasmus, Ravbar finally achieved success. As Erasmus entered an exposed part of his stronghold, where "Even the Turkish Sultan has to go alone,” the servant gave the signal and the canonball fire pumelled Erasmus to death. He is buried next to the small church in the village and according to the legend, the great lime tree over his grave was planted by his paramour. 

            Visiting this 16^th century castle (the earliest castle had been built in the 12^th century) certainly confronts you with what castle life would have been like between the 12^th and 13^th century: damp, drafty and dangerous. With a guide book in hand we roamed the castle, learning about the previous owners in the portrait room by checking out the defenses in the defense tower where stones were thrown and boiling water poured on the enemy and climbing to the so-called “Erasmus Castle” at the top of the castle. It is a well-secluded cave and hiding place, accessible only by a narrow rocky path. Through the large gap in this cave you see Predjama village and valley below and realize how safe from attack this castle really was. 

Being such a small country, Slovenia can be crossed in a matter of a few hours. You can be enjoying the peace of a beautiful mountain lake in one moment and two hours later find yourself sunbathing on the Adriatic coast, exploring subterranean caves, or even riding on the back of a Lippizaner horse. Slovenia represents the best of Europe wrapped up into one. And, in answer to the last question, my trip there was excellent.

            We took several breaks from subterranean life by going on numerous day trips to such places as:

Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia and a beautiful university town with narrow cobbled streets, cafes and shops on every street corner and a fairly imposing fortress that overlooks the city.

Lake Bled, an hour’s drive north of Ljubljana in the Julian Alps, perfectly located for hiking, swimming, windsurfing, fishing and long walks, rides on the gondola-like Pletna boats take you to the romantic church on the islet in the middle of the lake.

Lipica, breeding center of the beautiful white Lippizaner horses. Weekly exhibitions and performances, guided tour of the stables, riding lessons, pony rides for children, hotels, golf and casinos.

Rakov Skocjan Nature Reserve, where we enjoyed many walking trails and marveled at the natural bridges and many caves.

Portoroz, or the rose port, situated on the Adriatic coast, with sandy beaches, swimming pools, a marina, thermal baths and lovely rose gardens.

We stayed exclusively in campgrounds and found them to be clean, reasonably priced, beautifully located and with many activities on the grounds and nearby. For those not fond of tents, many of the campgrounds had lodges and bungalows to rent.

FURTHER INFORMATION

            Only a 4-5 hour drive from Munich, Slovenia makes for a great long weekend or extended vacation.

The best route is to drive towards Salzburg and then take the A10 to Villach, there, get on the A11 towards Jesenice, Slovenia. After the border, the road then turns into the A1 which goes directly past Lake Bled and on to Ljubljana. From Ljubljana get on the A11 for Postojna and the Lipica Stud Farm.

I Feel Love - Slovenia

Lake Bled

Castle above Lake Bled

As many of you have seen from my FB photos, we just returned from our vacation in Slovenia.  It's tourist slogan is "I feel SLovenia". And that is just what you feel when you visit Slovenia: Love. James and I first visited this country way back in 1996 and spent about a week there and it still wasn't enough. At the time, it was just such a surprise how beautiful it was and how much it had to offer. Our biggest regret at that time was not spending enough time at Lake Bled. So with Ronan out of school for two weeks and some vacation time to use, we decided to return to Slovenia.

We rented a small holiday apartment through www.airbnb.com at Lake Bled which was just perfect. Simple, clean, central and affordable. Instead of revisiting places we had been before, we spent all of our first day exploring the area of Lake Bled. We rented a row boat and rowed to the romantic island with a beautiful medieval church. We walked the boardwalk of the Vintgar Gorge, a nice long walk along a beautiful river gorge, as well as hiking up to Bled Castle. Our apartment was located in the old part of town that is the preferred area of backpackers and youth hostelers, more our speed than the fancy hotels and restaurants down by the lake. We enjoyed visiting the George Best Bar down the road from our apartment in the evening. George Best was a legendary football player from Northern Ireland in the 60s and 70s. He is still a household name among football fans in Britain and Ireland. Amazing to find a pub in Slovenia dedicated to his memory.

On our second day we drove out to Lake Bohinj, which is about 25 kms away from Lake Bled. Along the drive you follow the Soca River, renowned for fly fishing. Lake Bohinj is definitely less touristy than Lake Bled, but there is no shortage of things to do. We rented bikes and took a few different trails along the river. Then we drove to the far end of the lake to check out the Savica Waterfalls, a nice walk up 539 stairs. We also just spent some time pottering along the banks of the lake. June is a great time to visit Slovenia because the tourist season hasn't quite begun yet.

On our third day, our goal was to start heading back to Burghausen through Italy, but as we reached the Kranjska Gora ski area, our plans changed. We took the recommendation from our Rick Steves tour book to drive the Vrisic Pass, which takes you from the ski area up the mountain over the pass and down toward a town called Bovec and into Italy or you can head from there toward Ljubiana and back toward Lake Bled. Well we drove the pass and I have to take my hat off to all the amazing cyclists I saw riding up this pass. I'm planning on intensifying my training and coming back here with my bike - 1600 m. Instead of continuing through the pass, we drove back down to enjoy a bit of time along the banks of the river and lakes around this area. After picniking for about an hour and looking at the time, we decided to stay in this area another night and proceeded to find a very affordable room at the Penzion Blenkus, EUR 50 for three including breakfast. We had a lovely view of the mountains from our balcony and there was a friendly and inviting pub just downstairs.

The interesting thing about Slovenia is that you think you've found the most perfect beautiful place ever, but then you go somewhere else and it is even better than the place you've just been. I can't wait to go back and explore it some more. Next time we want to go further east and check out Maribor and the border with Hungary and them more remote mountain areas and river valleys. And I want to bring my bike! The Julian Alps of Slovenia are about a 3 hour drive from Burghausen and will become the Methow Valley (our favorite vacation place in WA) of Europe for us. Can't wait to go back.

Catching up...

Hi Friends and Family,
I apologize for the blog silence, have had lots to write about, but not the focus to sit down and do it. Lots of things are up in the air at the moment. I'm still waiting on the official word that my contract will be renewed, my current renters are moving out at the end of July instead of Sept, so I have to find new renters. However, I can't sign any new leases till I have a contract. Luckily, thanks to Craigs List, I have a few very nice folks interested in house, but can't give tell anyone anything yet. So things are a bit stressful at the moment and there is too much stuff inhabiting my mental space.

But, it's not all bad! We've had some good highlights lately too. Last weekend we rented a car and took a few day trips. Went to Regensburg on Friday where James had a gig, stayed in our home away from home above the Harp (Thank you Ola). Drove to Straubing on the way home the next day. Straubing was one of James' old busking towns and he did actually do a pitch for old times's sake until some other band came along and drowned him out. Sunday we drove down to the Alps to Koenigsee, a lovely lake just a few kms outside of Berechtesgaden. Lovely lake, yes, but also huge tourist trap. But, me being me, I insisted we do the boat ride to the far end of the lake and do a short walk to Lake Obersee, thinking we'd get away from the rest of the tourists, but everyone had the same idea and it was just a hiker's traffic jam. Then, on the boat ride back to the Koenigsee village, as I was quietly dosing off, Ronan proceeded to sit straight up and puked up everywhere, christening his new Bayern Muenchen football strip as well. Luckily, the person in the bench across the way was a fast mover. We quickly turned Ronan around so he could finish throwing up out the window.  No problem, we quietly cleaned it up the mess using cleaning supplies stored under the bench. The boat crew were very understanding and nice about it all as were the rest of the passengers. Not sure I need to go to Koenigsee again. And if I do, definitely will skip the boat ride, but it was beautiful.

New Member of my Bike Fleet

 

If you just read my last blog posting, you might be thinking it was a spendy weekend, it was. Sigh! But when you find just what you're looking for, you can't procrastinate.

After work on Thursday, I went out to the sports store to check out their used bike selection. And there it was in the back, just the MT bike I was looking for. Why a mountain bike? Yes, it seems a bit decadent, after all how many bikes do I need. I have a road bike and my Wacker bike, but the gravel and forested trails around here make a mountain bike just too irresistible. Also, James and Ronan both have mountain bikes, so my having one will make family bike trips much more practical. I'll have a bike to match theirs, we can spend more time off road and I'll be more comfortable. So I've been keeping my eye out for an affordable used one in good condition. It's a Giant Yukon, several years old, but well taken care of. I'm probably not going to be doing hardcore stuff so it will suit my needs just fine.

After Dirndl shopping on Sat, I took the new bike (no didn't wear the Dirndl) out for it's maiden voyage. James and Ronan were out in the woods somewhere, so after a quick cell phone call, I went out to meet them on the dirt road where they were. As I approached, I saw James walking down the road in the distance, but what I didn't notice was the hunting shack on the left and when I got to it I heard a yell and the shots of a toy gun coming at me from above! Low and behold! I was ambushed by my son and the very toy gun we had bought him back during Fasching in the winter. Funny how these things come back to haunt you!

We all biked home together and stopped by the SV Wacker football stadium just in time to hear our local team tie the score 2:2 in the 86 minute. Unfortunately, we heard later that the other team, the Offenbach Kickers, scored again in the 89th minute!

Dirndl Shopping

 The spring fair or Dult season is upon us here in the deep netherlands of Bavaria. This means that the lads pull out their Lederhosen (traditional Bavarian wear - leather shorts ) and the ladies don (Molly, note the use of don here) their Dirndl (traditional Bavarian dresses, based on historical costumes of Alpine peasants) and head off to the spring fair to enjoy a few Masse or liters of beer. These dult fests are all like local versions of Munich's fall Octoberfest. Burghausen's spring Dult, called the Mai Wiesn (http://www.maiwiesn.de/programm.php) is coming up in May, apparently most of Wacker and other local      
             businesses let everyone clock out early to go and enjoy the May Wiesen, it's called Tag der Betriebe. I've heard it gets pretty wild and it's a good opportunity to see all your German colleagues decked out in their traditional wear, so, of course, I'm in. 

With all that said, many of my American female colleagues have been going out to purchase Dirndls so as to join in the local festivities and embrace the German tradition. Well, who am I to be left out, despite my tomboy tendencies. So yesterday, myself, LeAna, Molly and Janna, headed out to Rimbach to "da' gamsnberger" trachtenerlebnis (http://www.gamsnberger-dirndl-trachten-lederhosen.de/de/frauen/) to buy Dirndl's. I pictured this place somewhere on the main street of a small town, but no, it was in the middle of Bavarian farm country. We pulled into a drive with what looked like a large farm building in the back, but it was, in fact, the shop building. Parked out front were more BMWs, Porsche's and Mercedes than I've seen in one place for a while, though we arrived in LeAna's rental Jaguar, so we fit right in. The shop itself was lovely and the sales personnel quite helpful. I was surprised how busy it was. Many sets of grandparents buying Dirndl and Lederhosen for grandchildren, among others.

Molly was our purchasing consultant, as she already has a Dirndl. Janna and I tried various styles while LeAna opted more for the nice leather Lederhosen skirts, though she did try on a dirndl for kicks. Janna didn't find any to her liking, but I did. A lovely dark blue dress with a turquoise apron. For those not in the know, the dirndl consists of a lacy midriff blouse that you put on first, then a bodice and full skirt, then the apron. I'd never tried one on, but gotta say, it makes you feel quite womanly and "busty," but in a good way.
Well, I found the one I liked and purchased it. They are not cheap, but the workmanship and the fabric is really nice, so it will be fun to have one back in the States. Maybe I'll get some free beer back in Bellingham during Octoberfest for wearing my authentic Dirndl. I'll have to campaign for that.