It has been a long time since I posted a blog. It was a lovely summer spent here at home in Kenmare, Ireland with side trips mostly to traditional music festivals in Milltown Malbay and Feakle in Co.Clare. In between I sell at the local outdoor markets, mainly scarves and jewellery I buy in Thailand. Now it is almost time to start planning to return to Asia.
In September I went to Germany on a guiding job with nice people from Charleston, Sth Carolina. I was mainly back in Augsburg and Munich in Bavaria, an area I love and where I have many very good friends so it was great to see them again.
A hike through the woods to Oberschonenfeld Monastery took place on a lovely sunny day with my old friend s and hiking companions. They have been hiking weekly for some 30 years in the great woods around Augsburg. We stopped around 11 am to enjoy our customary Sekt with huge fresh Prezels before
continuing our hike to an excellent Gasthaus for lunch. My clients enjoyed all of it even though they would not usually have a drink so early in the States.
Another lovely day was spent at Andechs Brewery on the Ammer Lake. We left the
car at Herrshing and walked over. Such fun to raise a large Stein of the excellent beer brewed by the monks, hear the music, enjoy the great food outdoors and the company of
friends.
Of course in Bavaria we raised steins more than once including at the Plarrer in Augsburg - a smaller beer fest than in Munich but all the nicer and the band was great.
We moved on to Munich
and had an excellent visit. The weather was still warm, the flowers still in bloom, enjoyed walks in the Englisher Gardens, visits to the wonderful museums and meals outdoors. The transportation in Germany is just so easy and reasonable. Up to 5 people can go anywhere in Bavaria on a train for just 28 euros so we hopped on and off trains, U Bahns, buses and trams and visited lakes and cities. We also went to the concentration camp at Dachau and afterwards went to the nearby city of Dachau and found it to be a really quaint very nice place.
Munich is a really lovely city with the wonderful Rathaus and Victuallian Market, the many museums including the 3 Pinakoteks, the Lenbach House and the Deutches Museum not to mention the BMW museum for all those who love cars.
Later, after my work was finished, I took a train from Munich down to Vicenza, Italy. a really nice ride past the beautiful scenery of the Alto Adige or South Tirol. Vicenza is between Verona and Venice and very close to Bassano the home of Grappa. I feel so at home in that region and am lucky enough to have many good friends there so it was a wonderful 10 days of fun, renewing old acquaintances, e
ating the excellent Italian food, going to markets, Venice, walking and of course drinking a lot of the local beverages. How lucky I am.
