Dante's European Adventure

After a quiet, post Carnival week...

(the only thing worth reporting about that week is that Tino totaled his car on the Autobahn after hydroplaning at 140km/h in heavy rain and smashing into the guardrail. He managed to walk away relatively unhurt, aside from a sore back, even though he wasn't wearing his seatbelt.)

...we had an away game which usually means a win, which did in fact happen. We took down Sonnenberg 3-1. Incidentally, that same day two of Pink's high school buddies (pictured below)...

...Anonymous...

...and Phil Jooones, Mortgage Consultant...

..arrived for a short week of visiting. When visitors come to small town Buehl, it generally means that the host (Pink and/or myself) have to rent cars to take them to other cities because there's only so much to see and do in Buehl. It also means that at the end of the month, all we're eating is pasta with olive oil 'cause we're broke. But we don't mind, really, visitors let us travel and see Europe which is never a bad thing. Especially this week. It was interesting, to say the least.

So Sunday, Phil Jones and Anonymous (to be referred to as P-Jones & Anon singularly or "them guys" when speaking of the two of them) arrived in Buehl. We had practice Monday night so they had to stick around for a day. Coach cancelled Tuesday practice on Monday so Pink booked a car and we decided to ride out to Interlaken, Switzerland on Tuesday morning, the trip planned about as last minute as possible. Nobody slept Monday night and about the only planning we did was to scribble down internet directions to Interlaken after the Quetsch. So that's how our week began and here's how it ended up...

Them guys packed their things and we headed out to pick up our car. Notice P Jonz's carry on roller bag, referred to as "Rome Cash" (short for Rome Casual which is the brand). It's smaller than his backpack. And ususally he sports "travelling pants" (blue/silver Valour) when travelling but unfortunately I have no evidence of this.

We (and by we I mean Pink) had to shell out 30 Euros for this windshield sticker just to get into Switzerland.

The Swiss Alps, no big deal.

Interlaken, surrounded by 2 glacier fed lakes and mountains on all sides.

We went exploring up in the mountains and found snow and skiers everywhere.

At Balmers Herberge, our hostel, in the relaxing room.

At Balmers it was dead being mid week in February. But we managed to meet Olena who was looking for someone to go skydiving with but the weather was overcast. So we hung out instead and played a game called Kings at the hostel's common area. Olena is a Hawaiian, recently graduated from USC and currently travelling Europe (for 2 months already and another to go) with no real plan.

One rule of this game that when you swear you have to keep your head on the table. Notice Anon...

and P Jonz having trouble with this rule.

After our game, we headed out to the hostel down the street to hang out. After they closed down, Pink started talking shit to them guys and they weren't having any of that.

So shortly after Pink stepped off this curb, they tag team tackled him, dragged him across the road and dumped him over the curb.

P Jonz was nursing a sore ankle. Here he is after we arrived back at Balmers getting comfortable. That other sock eventually comes off.

The more wrestling happenned.

So after we arrived back in Buehl on Wednesday (we had to be back for practice), them guys took a train to Munich and Thursday morning we were off to meet them. On the way we hit a traffic jam and had a sit on the autobahn for about an hour. You'll notice Olena still with us. After hearing we play volleyball, she told us how much she loves the sport (as most Hawaiians do).So we said, "why not come back to Buehl, we have a home game Saturday." And she did.

We finally made it to Munich and found them guys at the train station. They went shopping,much to the delight of P Jonz.

The Devil's Footprint located in the blandest looking church in Europe.

We found this place for dinner, thanks to Tom at Wombat's, our hostel.

Anon ordered the duck.

Back to the Hofbrauhaus again, biggest beer hall in Germany.

Anon had a beer.

After the HBH, we headed out to Sausolitos where we met some locals. They were going to another bar down the street, Americanos, so we followed. Here's P Jonz trying to order and not having much success.

Pink saw he was having trouble so he went to see if he could help. Turns out P Jonz was trying to order 3 Enshuldigungs (which means "sorry" or "excuse me"). Brilliant.

And then he danced with a stool.

Olena with a new Munich friend...

and me with another Munich friend, Sina.

After our night in Munich, we woke and once again saddled up for Schloss Hunting. And we hit the jackpot. This castle (the Neuschwanstein castle) is known as the "Disney Castle". P Jonz was the first to spot it (little ego boost there for ya Jonesy).

This castle belonged to the father of the King that lived in Neuschwanstein castle, about 300 metres from the other castle. Any where else and this castle would have been the most impressive castle we had ever seen but we didn't even give it a second look with that other monstrousity so close by.

More views.

More castle. We took a horse drawn carriage to the castle, which was built on a huge rock.

Me looking as touristy as possible.

The view from the castle. Not a bad spot to build a castle at all. I'd build mine there.

More castle.

On the drive back to Buehl, we discovered that P Jonz loves sausage.

After we arrived back in Buehl, we had practice and a home game on Saturday night, which we lost 3-0. Here's what happened to these 5 travellers...

-Phil Jones caught a flight back home to continue his work as a Mortgage Consultant. His new private office was NOT ready and waiting for him. More cubicles for this guy.

-Anon is back at school having uncomfortable conversations with classmates.

-Olena stuck around to watch us get drubbed Saturday night, then caught a 12 o' clock train out of Buehl to Madrid, with a 2 hour stop in Paris. She will continue travelling in Spain and Portugal and then take a job with the Peace Corps somewhere in Eastern Europe.

-Pink continues to live the dream...

-As do I, and Tal arrives this Saturday...here we go again.

Labels: Munich

Last post I promised pictures of Pink and mine's Schloss hunting adventure and the Superbowl Party...we'll get those out of the way and then get onto Carnival, a month-long celebration that ends with a huge parade, a ball, and a witch burning.

The Schloss hunting mobile, aka the borrowed LUK (our main sponsor) van.

The 20 minute schloss...I can't remember the actual name of it but 20 minutes was our time limit.

Lovely schloss, isn't it?

Falco, our sometime trainer and Superbowl host sporting Pink's Bears tuque.

Watching the game, eating snacks, drinking some beer. Falco's place was impressive.

Pink obviously not impressed by the outcome of the big game.

Okay, this is where we get into Carnival. We know little about its history and the reasons for all the festivities but we know a few things:

-There are groups of "witches" that celebrate for the entire month of February by visiting houses to sing and make noise, pulling pranks, throwing/stuffing confetti and drinking.
-These groups are all different and have different themes, seeminlgy arbitrary and without cause or reason.
-Schnapps, particularly the home made kind, is very popular during this time.
-Everyone, and I mean everyone celebrates this holiday. Students are given 10 days of holidays for it.
-It ends with a parade in mid/late February where all the witches dress in their traditional wear and masks and parade down the main street in Buehl throwing confetti, snacks, schnapps, and whatever else. Apparently, this event is to scare away the winter. Apparently its working because it feels like spring here, flowers are blooming already.

The weekend of the parade and Hexenball (witch's ball) began with a home game for us, which we not suprisingly lost (our home record is horrible). We went out after our game but this time it was different...EVERYONE came out, even our Hannes and Hurby (it's rare to see them out). These pictures are of that Saturday night, the eve of the big parade.

Pink and Hannes, our setter who is in the process of trying to land a scholarship at IPFW for next year.

Hurby teaching the boys (including a clueless Bajkov, notice the straw in his hair that remained there all night) a German drinking game involving dice.

It's not a complete trip to the Quetsch without Sean getting the gorilla mask on for a photo op.

Shanga la Hoh! I no doubt horribly mispelled that but there are groups of girls in what look like Dallas Cowboy cheerleader outfits that are around during Carnival (not sure where they come from) but if you yell that phrase, they kick their leg up for you and...

...put a giant stamp on your face that takes a ridiculous effort to clean off.

Another tradition is drinking schnapps out of these tiny bottles. You tap the table, stick the capon your nose and drink up. Matty and Sean are showing you how to get it done.

The next day at the parade. You're supposed to dress up or wear something funny. Pink just wore his sailing outfit, which was funny indeed especially because those are Korwin's shorts.

Matty, Pink and myself.

Pink and I.

Doing my best red headed Slash imitation.

Philip's mother (he plays on our team) havign a great time. They hosted the party at the parade because their optical shopis on the main street where the parade took place. They supplied drinks, food, a great view and great times...thanks, Lorenz family!

Viking Vlady.

The vat of confetti. The girl upside down is Janet, Rob's girlfriend, and she's next in line for the confetti tub.

Our friend Bernhard. He plays on our second team and belongs to one of the witch groups.

Then Sean's girlfriend, Steph, was dragged away by the witches...

...and locked up with the other women.

Hardy, a new father, dressed as a monk (his wife came dressed as a nun pushig their newborn daughter, Paulina) and Hurby doing his best Bjorn Borg imitation.