Ich Kann Die Fleidermaus Mit Einem Ei Töten Wische, Part II

...continuing the tale...

Greisbrau Brewery

Not Wolfgang explaining the fermentation process

One evening we went for a brewery tour at the Griesbrau brewery in nearby Murnau I had seen large American breweries before, like Anheuser-Busch in Williamsburg Virginia, but I've never seen a smaller German brewery.  Our tour guide' s name was "Not Wolfgang".  We were originally supposed to be given the tour by Wolfgang but this gentleman replaced him and for whatever reason I failed to get his name. Therefore, for the purpose of this blog I will have to refer to him as Not Wolfgang. We were first taught about the German Purity Laws (beer is very serious business in Germany) and then Not Wolfgang moved on to how beer was actually made. Along the way we sampled various product that was being produced by the brewery.

One product that we did not get, was the recently released "Dragon's Blood" which based on the name everybody wanted to try.  We also got to sample the beer liqueur that they are known for around the region. I had drunk several shots of the liqueur previously, but this time I was drinking and at the source. It is served warm to hot with whipped cream on top. Tasty.  Once the tour was complete Not Wolfgang  gave us a test on what we had learned. It did not take too long for it to become a group effort and several people used their translation skills to pull the answers off of the menus that were on the table. Luckily, everyone passed and Not Wolfgang handed out  diplomas.

Beer liqueur

Hohenschwangau & Neuschwanstein

I always wanted to go into the cream colored castle across from Neuschwanstein but when we had visited the area, it was not open to the public. This time, things had changed. The castle, Hohenschwangau, had previously been lived in by the family that owned it. Between my last visit in 2006 and now, the family had moved out and turned it into a tourist attraction. I'm so glad that they did.

The Knights Room

The Master bedroom

I cannot show pictures from the inside of the castle, because they won't allow you to take them -- although I did find a few on the web that are shared here. However, the most unique thing about this castle is that the artwork that was produced for the castle was not hung on the wall or painted onto canvases that were pasted the wall.  Instead the scenes were actually painted onto the walls with the original paintings being tucked away for safekeeping.  Also, a majority of the paintings were not of the royals themselves but of scenes from various historical events and German legends. The walls in all of the rooms were covered in Renaissance style storyboards which could be appreciated for hours rather than just the few moments that we were given to enjoy them.

The Knights Room

 

View from the bedroom window

The neighbor

After touring Hohenschwangau we walked across the street and boarded a horse drawn carriage for a ride up to Neuschwanstein.  If you have seen the Disney castle, this was the model for it, although no one will admit it due to copyright rules.  No pictures from the inside of this place either, but you would be impressed.  Ludwig's bedroom alone took 14 woodcarvers 4 years to complete.

I was able to find a few pictures of some rooms on the web.

The Singing Hall -- My favorite room in the castle

The Throne Room -- View from the Throne dais

The bedroom

Rottelbahn

Alpha

Omega

Bavaria has always been my favorite place to go in winter. The skiing is terrific and there are so many other winter sports available in the area it is feast of activity. During my final year of being stationed in Germany, my son and I went skiing near the peak of the Zugspitze, the tallest mountain in Germany; but this time we were here in summer.

The Bavarian's are very inventive people and during the summer they convert bobsled runs into rottelbahn runs.  Basically, you remove the ice and snow and replace the bobsled with a modified cart that has wheels on it. Voila! Summertime ride.  This footage was shot by my son has he rode the SommerRottelBahn track in Garmisch.  Occasionally, in the background you will get a glimpse of the ski jump that was used in the Olympics in 1938, as well as yearly for the International Ski Jump Championship.

Here & There

Pix I took while getting from here to there...

Love being in the mountains

Referred to as Witch Mountain -- you can see her lying on her back.  Must be cold up there today

Just Awesome!

Hay barns

No speeding in your tank.  There are laws.

Lots of artwork everywhere

I thought I was going to be able to finish the tale of the trip this week,  but I still have more tale and don't want to bore.  So,  next week Part III: Die Fleidermaus Fliegen Noch Einmal

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Ich Kann Die Fleidermaus Mit Einem Ei Töten Wische, Part I

When my planned R&R (rest and recuperation) leave in the United States got canceled for reasons that I can't get into here, I started thinking of those places within one or two time zones of where I was at that might be a good place to escape for a few days. There are several of my favorite places in the world within that criteria:  Berlin, Venice, Amsterdam, and Bavaria. Only one of those places had a hotel that was affordable for a 10 day stay, so arrangements were made and we all took off for Bavaria – – specifically Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Munich Haupt Bahnhof (Train Station)

Once we arrived and regrouped at the airport in Munich, we boarded the train for what was supposed to be a one train change trip. We made the train change in Munich, from the subway to the regular regional train, which was no small effort considering that baggage was being carried to cover a 10 day vacation. All went well until a few stops down the line when we had to change from a train to a bus due to problems with the rails that was caused by the recent heat wave. After riding the bus for a while, we were put back on a train which again meant humping bags between the two. Finally we arrived in Garmisch and checked into the hotel.  Surprisingly we were only about an hour late.

Lobby of the Edelweiss Lodge

View off of the room balcony

Over the next 10 days, we toured, went sightseeing, relaxed, and visited many places that had only been viewed in winter; since Garmisch was where we used to go skiing when I was stationed in Europe. So all of it was kinda-new, fresh, and amazingly different after staring at sand for over a year.

Champagne Brunch on first full day at Garmisch

A quick note: I have often heard that Germans are rude towards foreigners. I have never found that to be true. Granted, I do speak some of language and I look German but I think that a majority of that rumor comes from the fact that German can sound like a harsh language and therefore people think that the person speaking it is being mean or rude when in fact all they are doing is talking. Therefore, did not give into that rumor should you ever visit. The people are warm, helpful, and a majority of the time very sociable. In Bavaria in particular, the people are the warmest hosts I have ever met outside of the southern United States. 

I will let the pictures tell a majority of the story from this point forward, but will add commentary were needed.

Swarovski Kristallwelten

I was not sure what to expect when we got there, in fact what I expected was to be guided through an explanation of how Swarovski makes jewelry. That is not what Kristallwelten was all about. The company had given free range to various artists to create works of art that utilized crystals. As a result was a variety of exhibits that were all quite interesting and beautiful in their own way. The crystal Kaleidoscope is the largest in the world and consisted of a huge dome with crystals covering the walls. According to the sign you can look up and see thousands of images but the one you won't see is yourself.

Inside the world's largest crystal kaleidoscope

3 Country Tour

I am thinking this tour would've been better suited for people who had never been to Europe before. It was an all-day bus trip through Switzerland, Austria, and then a final stop in Liechtenstein. It was not bad, and the scenery was nice, but if you had traveled through there in the past you'd seen the scenery before.

Switzerland

Austria

Liechtenstein

Water Closet (Bathroom) sign.  They do look like they are in a hurry

Schloss Linderhof

King Ludwig liked his fantasy buildings. He completed three of them while alive: Schloss Linderhof, Herren Chiemsee, and Neuschwanstein Castle.  When I first visited here as an adult back in early 2004, I wrote the following on Life In Germany regarding King Ludwig and what eventually happened to him:

Ludwig built a total of three castles and had planned a fourth.  On another trip we hope to get to the other two. 

For those of you unfamiliar with his story:  Ludwig was preoccupied with the construction of his castles rather than government workings in Munich.  The Bavarian gentry felt he was spending too much money and had him declared “mad” at the age of 42.  They sent the psychiatrist who had diagnosed him to the Alps to take him away.    Did I mention this would be the first time the doctor would see the patient? 

Anyway, the doctor and posse could not get into Neuschwanstein and they were about to leave when a disloyal kitchen servant let him in a back door.  Have you ever noticed that a lot of royalty is brought down by disloyal hired hands?  They captured the king and took him to another house to prepare for the journey back to Munich the next day.  Sometime during the night, Ludwig escaped and was being pursued by the doctor.  While swimming across Berg Lake they both drowned.  In five feet of water.  The legend and argument about Mad King Ludwig II of Bavaria was born.

The fourth castle that never got built was to be called Faulkenstein

Fountains at Linderhof

Linderhof was one of King Ludwig's three castles

The backyard at Linderhof

The grotto was Ludwig's private theatre for operas

From the grotto

My favorite German lunch:  CurryWurst & Pommes with mayo

That covers the first half of the vacation,  I will write more about the trip next week.


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It's a Dry Heat, Kinda Like Living in a Pizza Oven

 

This morning, when I got up, the temperature was 105°; before the day is over, it will top 120°.   Kuwait is a quarter of the way into what it refers to as the hottest 40 days of the year.  Last year, I described the way the heat felt when the breeze picked up as kissing a blow dryer that is set on permanent High. I think it could also be described as what it must feel like for a pizza taking a trip through the oven at a pizzeria. But it can't be that bad, after all it is a dry heat.

 

As for me, it is time for my eyes to see something other than sand colored everything. Later tonight, I will hop on a plane and head to Garmisch-Partenkirchen Germany for a week of rest, relaxation, and hanging with family. I am so ready for a break and I am ready for some German hospitality which will of course include a certain beverage for which Germans are famous. I am counting the hours.

 

 

I will not be making an entry next week, but I will talk about the trip and share pictures when I get back. 

 

The whole time that I will be there, the high temperature in Bavaria will be about 80°. Oh yes.

 

Pix Of The Week

 

 

 

 

 

Parking is almost always an issue in Kuwait. However, parking on top of a police car is never a good idea.

 

 

I wonder where all the taxi drivers were while the cop booted every single one of them. I have seen pissed off taxi drivers over here get into physical altercations with each other. I cannot believe that they would've just sat by and watch their cars being booted.

 

 

 

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A Guilty Pleasure with a Razor's Edge

In 1981, I was passing through Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport on my way to my parent's house while on leave from Germany where I was serving with the US Air Force.  I was decked out in my best uniform and was ready to impress my parents -- the pride I felt was deep.  As I walked past a mirror, I noticed that I really needed a shave after my 14 hour flight.  So, I wandered into a barber shop and sought one out.  It was, without a doubt, the worst shaving experience of my life.

 

The barber was new or just unskilled. First she failed to leave the hot towel on long enough to soften my beard, then the razor was either dull or held at the wrong angle.  As a result I left with a spotty shave and blood pouring out of several cuts.  Years go by and I never did that again.
 

Guilty Pleasure lists have been around for a long time, but with better communication and social media people are sharing their own thoughts.  One of the things that is often on many of these lists for a man is a Traditional Wet Shave.  I have ignored this one due to past experience.  But, after being here for a while and seeing how it is done in Kuwait, I decided to try it at least one more time.  I am not sure they even do this in the United States anymore due to various blood borne diseases and I was concerned about that here as well.  Here they use a disposable straight razor which I have never seen before, so maybe they have adopted that in the US by now as well. 

 

I went to my high end hair cuttologist Bilal at Spaloon and told him to finish off the haircut with a Traditional Wet Shave.  This surprised him because he had been trying to get me to do this for a while but I always declined.  He smiled and nodded then set about cutting my hair.  After doing a terrific job at that, he brought over a steam machine and had me lay back in the chair while he adjusted the device's jets towards my face.  This machine   takes the place of a hot towel here, and actually was not unpleasant. A gentle warm fog of steam was pulsing on my face rather than an overheated asphyxiating towel.  The vapor had a pleasant scent to it, but I am not sure it had anything to do with shave preparation.

After a bit, Bilal returned and made a big deal of showing me he was unpackaging a new razor just for me.  I was concerned a bit about the fact it was disposable -- ever use a Bic shaver? -- but being adventurous I let it pass.  He then put some sort of gel on my face, not heated shaving cream, and then proceeded with the shave.  There were no pulls or scrapes or cuts.  None.  Bilal used the razor to skillfully shave straight lines around my mustache, sideburns and goatee.  And in less than 10 minutes it was done.  After a moment he spread a bracing astringent on the freshly shaved area and followed it with a warm damp washcloth to clean off the residue.  The finishing touch?  A local aftershave which I can only describe as having pleasant frankincense like scent with some added spices -- an Arabic scent.
 

I ran my hand over my face and could not find a missed spot.  The edges around facial hair had a very sharp, well groomed appearance and my skin had a nice glow.  This must be the Guilty Pleasure that I had read about.  It was an utterly enjoyable experience and at 4KD (about $15) it didn't break the bank.  I can see doing this again at some point.  A Traditional Wet Shave, at least at Spaloon, is indeed the epitome of the term Guilty Pleasure. 
 

NOTE:  I have received no compensation from Spaloon for the mention of their shop on this blog.  I do recommend both the shop and specifically Bilal for anyone needing such services.
 

Pix Of The Week



No animals were harmed in the skillful lifting of this Pix from 248AM. 

I think there is an untapped cottage industry opportunity in Kuwait for people who can translate Arabic to English for signs.  It is so needed.

Pretty sure will never have a need for Funky Pooping, but if I do I guess it is nice to know it is available

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Pigs Fly, Taxes Are Abolished & I Defend Paradise Lost...Possible Signs of the End Times

 

I hate Paradise Lost. I dislike John Milton for writing it. I hated it when I read segments of the poem in high school, I hated it when I had to read the whole thing for English Literature class in college, and I hated it when I had to write a summary of stanzas for a creative writing class in graduate school.  I think that every copy of the book should be tracked down and locked in a vault somewhere to prevent anyone else from ever being tortured by it unless they purposely seek it out. 

I further think that any curriculum that calls for Paradise Lost to be read should be immediately called into question and rewritten as Paradise Lost is not a great work of epic poetry but is a great example of how words on the page can be used to torture people.  It is long-winded, is filled with archaic language which has no poetic lilt to it that might accidentally make it enjoyable, and lacks any attempt at trying to make the words on the page in any way pleasing to the reader.  Beowulf is a better example, of the form even though it is not English.  

That is earnestly how I feel deep down in my heart. But what happened recently in Kuwait upsets me and puts me at odds because of my deeply felt beliefs about Freedom of Speech and the danger of banning books.  Recently, a bookstore had the book confiscated and the shop closed because it had a copy of Paradise Lost  openly on display on the shelf. The owner of the bookstore tried to find out why it had been seized since apparently there are copies of Paradise Lost in the Kuwait University library available for unrestricted access.

Here's the complete story from the Kuwait Times:

‘Paradise Lost’ leads to bookshop closure  

KUWAIT: A bookshop in Salmiya was closed because it was selling John Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost.’ The closure of the bookshop happened after an inspection from the Ministry of Information in mid-May. Two lady inspectors pretending to be customers walked into a bookshop in Salmiya and started asking about many books which, according to the owner of the bookstore, are banned in Kuwait. When the inspectors finally asked about “Paradise Lost”, the owner told them that it was available. “So, they asked me if they could have one. After having a look at the book in their hands, they announced that they were from the Ministry of Information and the book in their hands was actually included in the list of banned books in Kuwait,” the owner told this reporter. “I was surprised and shocked,” the owner of the bookstore said. “The inspectors asked me to show my license. 

They also asked whether they could get some 100 books randomly from my store. I requested them to reduce the number to 20. They agreed and gathered 20 books randomly from my store, including a copy of ‘Paradise Lost’,” the owner recalled. The following day, the owner went to the Ministry of Information to check the situation with regard to the confiscated books. “I was informed that I have to wait until they check the content of the books which were confiscated, including ‘Paradise Lost’. But I was shocked when they informed me that I have to close down my bookshop until the investigation is completed. I informed my lawyer about it and he advised me to abide by the verbal advice from the Ministry of Information and close down temporarily,” she disclosed. According to the owner, there are copies of Milton’s “Paradise Lost” at the library of Kuwait University. “How come that book, ‘Paradise Lost’, is available in the state university and we can’t sell it. 

I took pictures of the books to show that they are available in their own library,” she lamented. Further, she mentioned about an incident, told to her by her lawyer: A Kuwaiti woman was banned from travelling outside her country because she had ordered a banned book (from Amazon) from outside of Kuwait, despite the fact that she was unaware of the book being banned. “Some airport personnel called her one day to inform her about her package. When she went to collect it, she was told by the airport personnel that the book she had ordered was banned in Kuwait. 

She was slapped with a travel ban. She is a Kuwaiti. She managed to travel outside eventually, but she faced a court case for ordering a banned book,” explained the bookshop owner. “I was frightened with this story, which the lawyer shared with me. But I am an expat, and maybe they are going to do the same. I hope it would not affect my status,” she noted. She pointed out that there was no freedom of expression in Kuwait, as bookshop owners and even customers were slapped with cases for wishing to read literature. “You have your package in the airport opened. The package was not only opened, but also confiscated. They were able to successfully file a case against her and she was banned from travelling,” the owner said. “We are not talking anything that can be deemed offensive against anyone; we are talking about literature from ‘Paradise Lost’. 

Besides, if we were informed about it, we would probably not sell it. The problem is we weren’t informed. The idea of banning any book is very offensive to me or to any book-loving person,” she concluded.

One of the greatest rights protected by the US Constitution is that of Free Speech.  That protection covers all forms of expression:  spoken, written, and visual.  Over the course of my life, I have heard a lot I disagreed with – but that is exactly why it is protected, to prevent suppression of unpopular ideas.  Which is why political correctness should be feared because its result is censorship of expression and thought. 

I think all the peoples of the world should consider the example of basic protections found in the Bill of Rights and emulate them.  It is a great starting point for the universal freedom of man.  Then if someone is feeling mentally masochistic, they can get a copy of Paradise Lost  from the locked vault I suggest, and find out how Adam and Eve screwed up when they let Satan hang around.

Pix of the Week

This is Omar Borkan Al Gala.  A few months back it was publicized that he was forbidden entry into Saudi Arabia because he was "too handsome".  Over time it was revealed that the deportation never really happened and was probably just a publicity stunt to further his career.  Nice to know the Middle East has its own Milli Vanilli.

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Another Day, Then Another...

As I lay in bed this morning, drifting in and out of sleep between snooze bar pushes, it occurred to me that I had passed yet another date expected return from overseas (DEROS) without returning anywhere.  In simple terms, today I start my latest extension. If I had not extended, instead of lying here in bed in Kuwait, I could be lying in a bed in the US with the possibility of a Waffle House breakfast just outside the door.

It is unlike when I was on Guam and Graham-Rudman extended my tour there for an additional month without warning, asking, or even saying thank you afterwards. The feeling is a bit different, because I voluntarily did this. In some ways the whole G-R thing was similar to sequestration event because it was being done due to the government running out of money.

Anyway, after hitting the snooze bar for the third time, Falkor jumped up on the bed, pawed at my hand, and then offered his head to be scratched behind the ears. The dog knows what he likes and how to get it. While lying there thinking about the day ahead it occurred to me that I have no cereal in the house since my son ate it all during his recent visit. It was nice to have them stop by and I’m glad he is back in the United States safe and sound from Afghanistan.

After slapping the alarm clock one last time, I got up and turned on the coffee pot. I then went into the living room, put on my shoes, and headed out the front door to take Falkor for his morning walk. The weather here has been getting hotter, with days usually topping off at about 115° but the mornings still relatively cool. After a few more weeks of hot weather and as the days getting longer, it will be over 100° in the morning when I take the dog out.

 

Falkor’s patrol of the neighborhood was successful, as two cats who were blatantly napping under parked cars proceeded to relocate after he barked at them a few times.  He gets such a sense of self satisfaction in victory when they finally take off after he barks of them.  After all, it is his job to keep the cats in line -- just ask him.

 

Once back at the house, I jump into the shower, get dressed, and then retrieve my cup of coffee before taking a seat in the living room to watch the news in case something urgent happened in the world overnight. Oklahoma seems to be getting another pounding by Mother Nature, during the years I resided there, we were threatened by many tornadoes but I can only recall actually seeing one. I hope that everyone there is okay.

 

After making sure that Falkor has water and food for the day, I jump into my vehicle and had for the base. The traffic is light but steady. I don’t encounter any lunatics who are trying to pass emergency lanes or force their way across lanes without signaling or even bothering to look to see if anyone else is there. After driving past the refinery, a small village, and a span of desert I arrive at Camp Arifjan.

 

Many of the folks working the gates have been there for three or four years and since I have been here for over a year myself many of them know me by name. It is somewhat comforting but at the same time reinforces the fact that today, I start another extension and I start counting down to another departure date…173 days away.

 

Pix of the Week

This came up when I was searching for "Time" pictures. Anyone else remember it?



 

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