Monday, June 11, 2012

You only turn 35 once!

I always enjoy celebrating birthdays, and not just my own.  So, when a "big" one comes along, I'm all about a celebration - or in this case - several!  Since my birthday was on a Monday, my two good friends Amy and Becca and I went to Germany to visit the Harle brewery in Leutkirch the weekend before my birthday.  It was absolutely amazing!  On my birthday, I had dinner with good friends at a fun pub with good food and 20 beers on tap (rare in Prague).  Then the following weekend I had a party with friends in Prague at my house tasting Harle beer and hanging out at the beer garden.  All were simply wonderful!  I am so lucky to have made such amazing friends while living here!

Walking along the river in Regensburg, Germany where we stopped for dinner

Regensburg - oldest city on the Danube River

Regensburg

Regensburg
Regensburg

Breakfast in Füssen, which our GPS couldn't pronounce, so kept spelling: F-U-S-S-E-N.
We got really good at spelling on this trip.

Füssen

Füssen

Füssen

The sign reads "Born to Be Free"  - I always enjoy a good USA shout out.

Füssen

Becca preparing to try the "snowball" - think crispy pie crust covered in chocolate!

Um, not so sure how to eat this...

Delicious!

Füssen

Füssen

Füssen

Füssen

Amy's happy as long as she has coffee and her camera

Füssen

Füssen

Fountain in Füssen
Füssen

Becca and Amy - fantastic travel partners

Our awesome "free upgrade" Bertrand the BMW.  The irony of driving a BMW and then staying at our hostel (left) was entertaining.  


Neuschwanstein Castle - the castle Disney modeled their castle after.  Sadly, it's under construction...

How it should look

Horse drawn carriage up to the castle




Neuschwanstein


Beautiful area near the castle


Happines = Haribo gummi bears





Post castle apple juice and beer

Amazing hats

Love it

Had to pinch myself - it was so gorgeous it didn't seem real!

Our surreal picnic location




We just had to go for a drive on this gorgeous afternoon in the mountains with our BMW



Amy pointing out horses along the way



Cousin Julia showing the menu at the Härle brewery guesthouse - YUM!

My favorite wheat beer ever

Nothing like good friends and awesome cousins enjoying  Härle beer on a warm afternoon

Cousin Anne

Brewery tour

Interesting decoration made out of parachute material



Anne, Mario, and Felix

Härle  Brewery


Becca, Julia, Amy, and Gottfried

Where beer begins

Love seeing my last name everywhere





My favorite beer - an organic unflitered beer sold only in these 5 liter mini barrels and on tap in local restaurants and pubs.

Clemens Spezial beer toppers

Gottfried showing us how hops are grown


This was taken last August - so you can see how big they get!
Hops ready to be harvested (also from August)

Mario and Anne inspecting the beer



Best birthday present - a case of Härle beer!


The crew hanging out at the Mohren (guesthouse on brewery grounds)

Cheese spaetzle (noodles) with pork tenderloin and Landzungle beer - delicious!

A few varieties 





Mario gets sneaking in his photography skills






Julia prefers wine to beer - but of course we only drink beer here!  She started with a mini beer and ended the night with a half liter!  :)



Cheese spaetzle - YUM!



Always end the night with a schnapps - for my dad!


Flowers from my fantastic cousins who made a surprise visit!

Love the painted beds in the guest rooms








Cousins: Felix, Julia, and Anne

Anne and Mario



Prost!

Family fun


Bringing home a case of beer on public transportation?  This is the place to do it - no one gave us any strange looks (for once)

Post-gorilla run before the birthday bash in Prague - free gift: gorilla mask!

Amazing blueberry and strawberry tart made by my awesome roommie, Jimmie

Enjoying the wonderful food and starting to taste the great beers




Katrina and me

Getting excited for blueberry crumble




You know you have good friends when you say its your birthday wish to have them try on the gorilla mask...and they do!
Jimmie the gorilla

Simone

Katrina and Petr

Charles - one of my cool roomies

John
Robbe

Becca

Amy

Marissa

Mary Beth

Katrina

Ben - another awesome roommate

Casey

And then there was the beer garden - one of my favorite hang out spots near our house



Jimmie and me

Me, Katrina, and Casey

Marissa, Me, and Amy

Na zdravi!

Me and Amy



And when it was all over -  a surprise guest in my bed.  ;)


1 comment:

  1. Great fun this trip... even 2nd hand.
    So much looks like toned down Disney... too pretty to be real.
    So happy you enjoyed all this... hugs to you

    ReplyDelete