Mad Dog in Germany next week

Paul Pollets

has the largest wine barrel in the world in the basement. There's a dance floor on top of it. They also sell a special local schnapps in the basement tap room. If you take the special tour, they show you the King's & Queens' BR, each with a huge Buderus tile stove with built-in seats.

Prague is well worth visiting, and boasts great architecture and history. The castle took 700 years to build and is worth the tour.

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Mad Dog_2

Never been to The Fatherland.........................

Will be in South East Bavaria, Town of Furholz, near Grainet from 17 July till the 28th. This is a "FAMILY" trip I have been reminded by Babs - several times. Of course, the Buderus & Viessmann Factories are almost a days ride away and I don't know if there are any other industry places-of-interest w/in a few hours ride...does anybody? We will be staying w/ my Mother inlaws family (she was born there) and will be venturing in to Austria and Czech. Any closer places I could visit. I really wanted to see the Ruhr Valley and the Town of Essen home to the Legendary Krupp Armamnets Factories...who knows...maybe I'll just disappear and catch a train up there for a day. Any suggestions are welcome. Mad Dog

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J.C.A._3

Dog...

If you have the time, try a day trip to Heidleburgh. I spent a couple days there a while back and had the time of my life.

Old and New come together....and because it was a university town during the 2nd world war...the bombers pretty much left it alone. So much history in such a beautiful place.The vineyards on the Rhine...the Castles and all the little nooks and crannies that are to be found make for a great day or 2 if you can.

Have a great trip brother. Remember to enjoy yourself!!!! Chris

Supply House Rick

And Here's The Lovely Couple

Enjoy! You are one lucky dog...

Rick

Steamhead (in transit)

auf Wiedersehen,Mad Dog!

Enjoy!

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Unknown

Der Mad Daschund? Weimeraner? German Shorthaired Pointer?

Germany's train system is awesome. You probably can get your "side trips" in, with a little planning. Have a great time.

J.C.A._3

Hmmmm.Let's see if I can find the 2nd biggest wine barrell photo

J.C.A._3

Lets see....

Just how big IS the largest one? I did see it, but the pictures didn't come out well. Check out the 2nd biggest one in the castle anyway. Chris

Steamhead (in transit)

What matters most

is whether the cask is empty, and if not, how well the cask room is secured.... ;-)

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Unknown

NO SWIMMING!!

in the cask! tempting, I know!

Darin Cook_5

Hey Bud

There are so many things to see and do. Jump on a train and go into Munchen (Munich). You have to sit at least one time in the Hofbrauhaus and have a big ole mug of Hefeweizen. You will know who the Americans are by the ones who are stumbling after one!!!! Take a ride into the Black Forest and have some world famous cake and bring a Cuckoo clock home! A ride on the Rhine river and look for the Lorelei. You will notice most of all that no matter where you go the beer is so fresh (no preservatives). I wish I was going!!! Have Fun!!!





Darin

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Bruce M_2

München

I used to live in Munich and you must visit. You can take a train there. Lots of great museums and beerhouses. There were 5 breweries in town. BMW museum, great art museums and great food. Make sure you have German ice cream it is wonderful. In Germany people have to have an identity card, don't leave home without it. The German polizei don't take any nonsense from anyone. Treat them with the utmost respect. If you do not speak German get a booklet with German phrases that you can learn.
Mit Freundlichen Grüßen

Mad Dog_2

Thanks fellas......................................

I'll certainly try to take your advice. I guess no one knows any major manufacturers down that way huh? The Beer, touring and all that is already a given, but I was hoping to visit a plant to see how they run things. I'll raise a stein for all of you - every day...many times a day...my only warning from Babs was: "...don't get smashed...or you are DEAD!" Taking that advice, I will just have to "pace" myself....any of you who have "drunk" with The Mad Dog knows he can pound with the best (Mark Hunt, Darin, Dan, Ron Jr.) but I'll behave...don't wannna spend the vacation in trouble.....no not w/ the polizi but with Babs.....Mad Dog

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ScottMP

Hey Dog

Iw as going to make the same suggestions that JCA made. Hieldburg is a must.

Contact Buderus in N.H. and see if ou can see thier plants. MAybe contact Viessmann and see what they have ?

Have a great time man.

Scott

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joel_28

Zoom Zoom

Go to the nurberring (sp?) and rent a Porsche and DRIVE trains are for Democrats.... but Amtrack there trains are not,so i suppose i'd try that too.

Tombig_2

MD

I recently took my first trip to the old country. Can't believe I waited this long. I left some advice on the Budweiser post before I saw this one.

My trip was rather whirlwind and all around northern Europe. Visited the hometowns of my ancesters in eastern Bavaria near Frankfurt with a genealogical researcher I met on the net who knew my family history better than me...it was awesome. Also visited with a distant cousin who lives in Frankfurt, also met on the net. She's coming to Chicago in October to visit with her kin, again....awesome.

Even though I was close to Heidelburg we didn't have the time to go. The castle and history seems to make this a worthy side trip. Didn't do Munich or Austria either though my maternal ancesters are there. Next trip I guess.

I DID spend two days in Prague however, and I wish I had a few more there. Didn't even visit the castle which is as large as a small city. I mentioned Budvar (european Budweiser) in the earlier post and you can find that beer from Amsterdam to Budapest. I found out that Anheiser Busch has been fighting over the name for over a hundred years with their Czech counterpart.

My trip was castles, cathedrals, family history, and military history, from Paris to Normandy to Amsterdam to Prague to Frankfurt to Cologne to Paris. Can't help you out much for western Bavaria but I can speak as to Prague.

Make sure you try a beer called Velvet. It's kind of creamy and a little fruity and my son liked it much more than me. Poured correctly it creates a foam head for almost the whole glass and then dissipates to a frothy couple inches. Just watching the foam evolve into a full glass of beer is a memory unto itself.

There are some nice riverside cafes. One we stopped at had a guy from the states singing Neil Young songs...nice. They had a local brew and protocol dictates you're supposed to stay and enjoy the brew for the evening. Don't wander the city too late as it seems the unsavory element pops up earlier than we're used to in the states.

A terrific day trip from Prague is to the town of Kutna Hora. It's a couple hours by train and the sense that I was in a former Soviet bloc country was evident in that train ride more than than any other time. There's a "bone church" ossuary in Kutna Hora that shouldn't be missed. The only other one I know of is in Rome. The cathedral in the town is amazing also.

Other than that I don't know what advice to give you Matt. Enjoy the heck out of yourself with your family and count your blessings that you have relatives that speak the language and can be your guide. Germany by train is awesome but don't do an overnight. I liken it to being packed in a pod and shot light years away to another galaxy. Czech Republic is not Eu, still uses Kroner and is not part of any Eurail pass.

I'll attach a couple of pics: bone church at Kutna Hora, Buderus drain grate in the Bavarian countryside, riverside in Prague. E-mail me for specifics if you want.

By the way, when we got back to Paris one of our travel mates went to Nurburbring racecourse back in Germany, rented a "track toy" and drove the course. He's the big guy in the Prague picture. He told me he blew away other racers with "hotter" cars but his credit card was "smoking and too hot to touch" after the experience.

MD, enjoy the trip with the family. There's so much to see you don't have a prayer to cover it in ten days. Prior to travel I thought I'd at least ask at every hotel to see their boiler room. That fell by the wayside and I saw none. I managed to take a couple of pictures at the only bathroom (you're not in the US anymore) that I had to PAY to take a leak. They're not even postworthy.

God bless you and your family on your travels and above all....chill!

Have a safe trip, TG

J.C.A._3

Hey Dog.

Viessman has a museum at their plant in Allendorf....I don't know if you'll be going near there...but it was a pretty cool set up. Kind of like a BIG airplane walkway with their first boilers and lots of "along the way" stuff.

We had a private tour, but they may have hours there for the public. Check their home web site.(You may be able to change the language to English easy enough!)

Enjoy yourself! Chris

Mad Dog_2

Thanks guys

Mad Dog

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Bobby D.

Have A Great Time !

Mad Dog, have a great time in Germany, the thing I remember about my visit there was how fine the beer is, and also how more potent it is, than in the U.S. So have a few for me.

Take in the sights, relax and have a great time. It won't take long for you to forget about the real world.

The German culture has one up on us, on the weekends things shut down by mid day on Friday, like banks, stores, etc and do not reopen until Monday.

This allows families to spend more time together, there is no 24 hour, 7 day a week places to be found.

Hard to imagine but true.

Enjoy, have a safe, healthy and relaxing trip, you will never forget it.

Bobbyd