Vibrant Freising, 1000 Year Old Beer

Freising is a vibrant and energetic town with a population size of about 45,000. The city is full of cute shops and restaurants. There are several "Tracht" shops, which are clothing shops that especially feature traditional garments, like lederhosen and dirndls. There are numerous restaurants, cafes and coffee shops with outdoor seating, where you can sit with a cappuccino or espresso and watch the throngs of pedestrians and bikers move past. While the streets are open for automobiles, you see more people getting around on foot or bicycle, and there are large bicycle parking lots all over town.

Weihenstephan Brewery

One of the major attractions in the city is the Weihenstephan brewery. Weihenstephan is the world's oldest continuously operating brewery. That's right...the oldest brewery in the world. Most likely in the whole solar system. Without any evidence to back me up, I am going to go out on a limb and say that in the entire Milky Way, this is the oldest brewery. Weihenstephan brewed its first batch in the year 1040 (Okay, the Milky Way is a LOT older than that, so there are probably older breweries out there somewhere, and I would like to find them). The brewery grew out of a monastery that was founded by the patron saint of the city, St. Korbinian. Korbinian started the city of Freising as a school, church and monastery. The brewery gives a fascinating tour, but be sure to call a few months in advance to reserve one. They make several varieties of beer and export them all over the world. 976 years is a long time. It is sobering to think about all the nations that have risen and fallen in that time and they keep making beer. If it is too sobering for you to think about that, then crack open a Weihenstephaner Hefe Weisse Bier. I sampled 6 of their beers, and it was my favorite. It would be really cool to go there for their millennial celebration in 2040. It would be even cooler to be there for their bimillennial celebration in 3040, and a goal I will shoot for. The only disappointment was that they are no longer selling bottles of their original batch.

Any institution that exists for 1000 years is bound to have an impact on the community. A university grew up around the brewery and is a well respected science college. Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University offers a variety of science degrees, including of course, a degree in brewing. They also specialize in green engineering, not surprising, since Germany is constantly making strides in renewable energy, recycling, and reducing their carbon foot print. I've been watching them over the past few years as they have increased their percentage of renewable energy, and they are mostly renewable at this point. They are huge on recycling. We need to learn from the Germans before we destroy the planet.

Surrounding the Brewery and the University are beautiful gardens with fountains and benches.  The gardens are constantly maintained and full of a wide variety of flowers and trees. The brewery, university and gardens are located on the top of a high hill overlooking the city.  One of the best views in Freising is from the top of that peaceful hill. You look over the city, the Upper Bavarian Plateau, and see the Alps in the distance. The place is quiet, tranquil, a perfect place for quiet conversation, a picnic, or meditation.

View of Freising from atop Weihenstephan Hill 

One of my favorite experience in Freising was the hotel we stayed at. The Bayerischer Hof gives excellent service. I had stayed there once before, a few years ago. I was so impressed with the service that I wanted this to be the first place I stayed for my honeymoon. I emailed them ahead of time to tell them that. The went all out on the decorations for us, which was a huge surprise.  They also gave us a  complimentary bottle of German wine. Their service is fantastic, with friendly and competent staff. And their breakfast buffet is fresh, local and delicious.

 

The kitchen with full menu at the Bayerischer Hof was also fantastic. I had dinner at the Bayerischer Hof three years ago. For the first time in my life, I had sauerkraut and actually liked it. I didn't just pretend I liked it because I am of German heritage. For that matter, the same is actually true of beer. The truth is, I never liked beer until I went to Germany three years ago, and had it at the Oktoberfest. And if that isn't enough, the sausages in Germany were dramatically better than American sausages. They were much less greasy and had a better flavor. When I experienced espresso in Germany three years ago, it was like falling in love with coffee for the first time. I changed the way I make coffee at home because of it.  I always hear people talk about going to Europe and making grandiose statements that one thing or another is better over there than it is here. They sound a bit enamored. You hear and wonder if these things can really be better over there. We have the same exact thing here, right.  Your mind looks for explanations. Maybe its just that they were on vacation and had a nice trip. They were relaxed. They were sprinkled with fairy dust. It was spells cast by gypsies. Anything to try to rationalize.  But no, it is not grandiose. These things really are better over there. The sausages, the coffee, the sauerkraut, the beer … its not fairy dust, hallucinogenics or transcendental meditation.  These things really are better in Germany. Better quality ingredients and better preparation result in superior products. The pork roast and sauerkraut at Bayerischer Hof was an eye opening experience. The meat melted in my mouth. It was so tender I didn’t need a fork, I could have just used a straw. The pork roast really was outstanding and it changed the way I looked at sauerkraut.

The staff is friendly and professional the food is fantastic, and the location is perfect. If you want to spend some time in Freising, I strongly recommend Bayerischer Hof. Its only a twenty minute walk from the hotel to the brewery, university and gardens. The hotel is in the middle of town, you can spend several days walking around and exploring.

Freising Cold

Freising was a bit on the cold and rainy side while we where there, but it did not stop us from falling in love with the place! The worlds oldest brewery, legends and stories of saints, the city is rich and deep in history and heritage. It's not only cool because of its history, but the city today is vibrant, alive, energetic, and fun. Even late into the night, you will find people out and about, enjoying the town. One thing I have found consistently in my two trips to Germany, and having spend time in six different German cities, is that Germans are friendly and fun. I am most amazed about the German people. Germans are very friendly and happy. I love the mountains and cities and scenery, but most of all I love the people.

(It is pronounced "fry-zing," not "freezing." Regardless, whenever I say the name of the city, my wife tells me to get a jacket).

The city has its roots in the 8th century, established by a St. Korbinian. St Korbinian was named Waldegiso at birth. He was born in France.  His father died while Waldegiso/Korbinian was in infancy. He was then renamed by his mother, Corbiniana. Personally, I think Korbinian is a lot easier to say than Waldegiso, but I am not a medieval French dude, so I could be wrong. I do wonder, if after his name was changed, if they played a game of "Where's Waldegiso?"  They probably did, because he became a hermit monk for 14 years. He ended his hermacy with a trip to Rome. There the pope told him it was time to stop being a hermit, and go help develop the church in Germany. Korbinian/Where's Waldegiso stopped in what is now Freising, at a shrine to the Virgin Mary. He established a monastery, a school and a church, which became the core of Freising. The monks eventually began making beer, and when the monastery was disbanded, the brewery continued. It is the world's oldest continuously operating brewery, making beer since 1040.

On the way to Rome, legend has it, a bear killed Korbinian's pack horse. He was furious, and commanded the bear to carry his load the rest of the way to Rome. Commanding a bear to carry your luggage is pretty bad-ass, so the bear is the symbol of the city still to this day. I am surprised that Chuck Norris is not a saint.  Korbinian's bear is used as the symbol of Freising, and you will find painted statues of bears all over the city. The bear is also a part of Pope Benedict XVI's crest, due to his strong connection with the city. Then known as Joseph Ratzinger, he studied in Freising. He was ordained as a priest at St. Korbinian Cathedral in Freising. Father Ratzinger was later appointed Archbishop of Freising-Munich in March 1977. I was hoping that having a German pope would result in pretzel and beer communion, but apparently, he did not stay pope long enough to make it happen.

So naturally, my wife and I had to visit the Cathedral. It was beautiful, inside; mesmerizing and awe-inspiring. This is the Year of Mercy, as designated by Pope Francis; a year to focus on peace in the world. Several churches have been designated to have "holy doors" for the year, and you are supposed to enter them in prayer contemplating peace and humility. We reverently entered this door on the way in. The first church was built in 860 and rebuilt after a fire in 903. The church was completely destroyed by fire on Palm Sunday in 1159. Construction of the current Romanesque building started in 1159 and completed in 1205. The Romanesque wooden ceiling was replaced by a gothic vault in 1483.

Holy Doors at the Cathedral of Sts. Korbinian and Mary

Over time, several different small churches were built in the area. Later, these were all connected by building a large facility with connecting hallways, and all of these together comprise the Cathedral and current  Munich Diocese headquarters. So as we walked through the corridors of the cathedral, we entered various ancient churches and chapels that were once built separately and are now all connected.  There is a chapel to St. John of Nepomuk (I've never heard of him either, but the ancientness is kind of cool) that is now the Sacristy. There is a church of St. Benedict, and a church of St. John the Baptist. The basement has a crypt with the relics of three different saints, including the bones of St. Korbinian. It was a bit surreal, walking into a poorly lit basement. The displays were few and scattered, organized by any apparent logic. They were not well lit, and signage was obscure and esoteric. My German is far less than fluent, but I know enough to have a conversation with a four year old. There were not any 4 year olds to chat with in the crypts, so we studied the available sign, and felt immediately certain there were bones in these boxes, bones of saints. It took us about half an hour of google translator in a dark and isolated catacomb of an ancient church for us to realize we were standing in front of a crypt that held the remains of St. Korbinian himself. I'm just glad the bones of the bear were not around.

Crypt of Korbinian

Back up from the crypts, to the area of worship. The church was beautiful. The ceiling was filled with exquisite detail and endless frescoe paintings depicting heaven and other-world events. Some of the paintings in the church were done by Ruben. The Baroque and Renaissance paintings and frescos, sculptures are all breathtaking. Even the paintings not done by Ruben were very Rubenesque, which is better than being Picassoesque paintings in a church. Jesus with two eyes on the side of his nose would not be very reverent.

The church was one of the most beautiful places I saw that week in Germany, which says a lot, because we saw a lot of beautiful places.

There is so much more to say about Freising, I will conclude in another post. Freising is beautiful, peaceful, fun and cool. Cool, but not freezing. It is well worth the visit.

The rest of the photos are of the Cathedral and Diocese headquarters. It is a large complex.

Painting by Ruben 

Oktoberfest 2016 - To Dirndle or Not to Dirndl?

Calling the Oktoberfest a beer festival is like saying  Shakespeare was a guy that made up stories. Sure you are right, but you would seriously be understating the depth, history and culture involved. You are missing the history, the other cultural aspects, and the heartfelt fun. German word of the day: "Herzliche Wilkomen" … it literally means heartfelt welcome. I have travelled around the world, and Germans are truly some of the friendliest and most optimistic people I have every met. I think anyone who has any interest in German history and culture ought to go the Oktoberfest in Munich at least once.

The Oktoberfest was originally a wedding reception for king Bavaria in 1810. He married Therese and threw a big party, inviting the local townsfolk. Ludwig and Therese were so well loved by the town folk, that the next year, they wanted an annual do-over. Or at least the party and the beer were well loved. It became an annual event. Years later, it evolved into a beer competition and hence a festival. "Wiesen" is the German word for field. The locals do not call it the Oktoberfest, they call it Thereseweisen;" Theresa's field.  Thus, the original party was basically a kegger in the field for the king and his new bride. I went to a couple keggers in high school. That's all I have to say about high school keggers. Not because I lack an opinion, just because I don’t remember anything about the keggers in high school.

Parade of drummers

been to Wiesen twice now. The atmosphere is fun-loving and easy-going, with drinking, dancing, music, good food, and open hearted people. Many times I have been lost and confused in Germany, and a local has come up to me volunteering their help. I grew up hearing about how friendly Canadians are, and have seen this reputation to be true, but they do not have Germans beat on this. Germans love to have fun. The serious, humorless German stereotype is unfounded. Walk into a beer tent and instantly start having fun with  900 other people. I learned the hard way not to stand in front of the door to the bar.  Bar maids carrying 12 large beer glasses at a time come rushing out of there in a near run. The Germans could have been yelling at me and calling me names, instead they only gently but firmly pulled me out of the way, preventing serious beer loss, injuries and humiliation. Well, probably the beer loss was the main motivation, but they were kind and jovial about it. The same thing is true with the kitchen door, and large trays of roasted chicken and vegetables.  Sometimes I learn the hard way.  German word of the day "Freundlich."  It means friendly, not lick your friends.  I might have learned that the hard way, too, I'm not saying.

Beer tents. Fun places with a terribly inaccurate name. They are far from actually being tents. These are large permanent wooden structures, about three stories high that seat about 9,000 people. If this is what you call a tent, I would not want to camp with you if I have to help you pitch it. Each tent has a complete kitchen serving delicious German food, and of course, beer. Lots of beer. Served in large glasses that hold about three bottles. Waiters and waitresses carry up to twelve of these at a time, a very cool sight to see. In the center of the hall, full of 9,000 patrons, you will find a band on an elevated stage, about half a floor into the air, suspended over the crowd. Horns, accordions, drums, singers, all playing traditional German music. The music is loud and energetic. Even without understanding the words, and not having any alcohol in me yet, I felt like dancing. Of the 9,000 patrons, you will find at least 100 dancing on tables at any one time (often much more than that).  It is all brightly lit, colorful and festive. The moment you walk in, you feel is an unmistakable air of light-hearted fun.

There are 14 large tents at the Wiesen, all matching the description above. The tents are owned by the breweries. So the Löwenbräu tent, of course, serves Lowenbrau, and so on. The other beer companies that have tents there are Paulaner, Augustiner, Spaten, Hofbräu and Hacker-Pschorr. About 7 million liters of beer are drunk by the end of the festival. Each tent will have specific bands contracted to play for them. The tents have different food offerings. One has fish on a stick (entire fish, roasted, on a stick). One has numerous roasted meats; duck, chicken, all sorts of beef and pork. One has crossbow competitions. What can go wrong with beer and crossbows in a large crowd, after all?

There are also much smaller tents which are quieter and do not specialize in beer or have bands. We spent time in a wine tent. If it were located anywhere else, the wine tent would not be called a "tent." It would be called a cute little restaurant. In German we would say the restaurant is "Gemütlich" which does not have a literal translation in English, but would mean it is very pleasing, comfortable and friendly, and you feel quite relaxed and at home. 

One of the smaller beer tents.. specializing in Fish on a Stick...and beer

There are also coffee, donuts, and pastry tents. It's not all about beer at the Oktoberfest; just mostly about beer.  There are also plenty of outdoor food and drink stands. The Oktoberfest also has a large midway, with roller coasters and other rides, carnival games, music. German word of the day: Fahrt"  It means to drive. So the roller coaster called "Fahrt zur Holle" is the drive through hell, not what It sounds like in English. 

Fahrt Zur Holle

Most Oktoberfest participants wear lederhosen or dirndls. You don’t have to wear the traditional clothing; you can wear jeans and t-shirts, but you will feel more like part of the event if you dress accordingly. You don't have to be German to wear the traditional outfits, the Germans will not be offended if you are from another country and still dress for the festival. 

I speak a little bit German, and I am nowhere near fluent. If you want to speak German to me, speak slowly and as if to a 4 year old, and we will do fine in conversation (until I cry). However, I rarely run into a German who is not fluent in English, and as soon as they hear my accent, they begin talking to me in perfect English. The downside to this is I don’t get a chance to practice my German, the upside is that we can communicate better, with more precision and expediency. The only time I found communication difficult was in the beer tents; it is so very loud in there, and very crowded. If you go, I recommend reserving space ahead of time. This is a German festival, by and for Germans, after all, so the default language is German. So if your German skills are not very high, it is hard to converse in the tents. I did manage to have a nice conversation with a woman and her husband who sat next to me. She spoke very little English, but between the two of us we could yell a pleasant conversation She was a surgical nurse, and since I am a medical doctor, we had some things in common. If you learn a little before you go, you will find yourself picking up a lot more just by being a tourist. My wife did not know much to start with, and she picked up a little German every day. I had to tell her to put the little Germans back down, we were trying to avoid trouble. I've been to Germany before, and I am trying to avoid trouble with the law. German word of the day: Rathaus. A municipal building. i.e. where politicians work. You can figure out the word roots there.

I really enjoy the German language, although I don’t find it lyrically beautiful like I do Italian. There are plenty of German words incorporated into English.  Kaput is German for Broken. A "Kind" is a child, and "Kinder" is plural for children, Garten is garden. So you see where the word Kindergarten came from.  I am sure you have all heard the word "beer garden"  That is what my grandparents used to call bars. I never heard them say the word "bar," it was always  "beer garden." That's right you guessed it's where Germans grow beer. Pull tabs from cans and bottle cap are seeds to grow more beer. Overall, you don’t have to speak German to go the Oktoberfest, but it would help.

If you like beer, Germany, parties and music, you should go to the Oktoberfest in Munich at least once in your life. I would only add two caveats. If you do not like large, loud bustling crowds, you won't like the beer tents. The other is to reserve a table ahead of time online at www.oktoberfest.de. Finding a seat ahead of time is very difficult and requires a lot of luck and patience.

Berea -- Ending Slavery Before it Was Cool

Berea, KY is a cool and artsy little college town. It was started by Cassius Clay and Reverend Fee in the 1850's, both ardent abolitionists. They built two churches and a tiny town in the midst of scattered farms, with the intent of building a community that would fight against slavery. From its inception, it has been a liberal bastion in a state mired in right winged closed minded politics. From opposing slavery in a slave state before the Civil War, to a thriving hippie college town in the middle of Bible belt Republican-or-die Kentucky. Berea is a free thinking breath of fresh air in a state with too many uneducated fundamentalists. In Berea, people actually know what Kombucha is and that Jesus was a Palestinian, not a blonde haired blue eyed Aryan. 

Berea Coffee and Tea

This is the only place I have ever encountered where all the college students get a full scholarship in exchange for work. Every single one of them. The students work in the town and get full tuition, room and board, and a little bit of spending money. We talked to several college students. They are upbeat, optimistic about the future, and eager to learn, eager to be thorough and conscientious in their responsibilities. Berea College is a beautiful campus. It has a wide range of degree options. It is a well respected and fully certified institution of higher learning.

 

 

When we booked a room at Boone Tavern, I pictured the hotel staff in coonskin hats, a bartender in denim and leather with his foot on a stool, resting his arm on his knee, chatting with a settler drinking beer out of an elk horn. I was really disappointed to arrive at an opulent hotel that looked like it was designed by the Astors, and managers in suits.  Boone Tavern has a rich feel of genuineness and history and offers the best imaginable service. It started as a guest house for the college president in 1909. The hotel is owned by the college, and mostly run by students. You cannot find friendlier service in a hotel. All of the services are modern and efficient, and the restaurant serves impeccable cuisine. They have complimentary bicycles and reserved parking for all-electric vehicles, with free charging.  There are shops all around the hotel, and you could easily spend a pleasant day never leaving the block it inhabits.

Boone Tavern

Boone Tavern

Boone Tavern

Boone Tavern

Boone Tavern

The town is adorable with tea shops, cafes, and gift shops that begged for perusing. Everywhere there was an atmosphere of hope and future. During summer, Berea has "First Friday" celebrations. First Friday is a lot of fun. We were fortunate to be there during a First Friday. During the first Friday of a summer month, you will sway and jive to live music performed by high quality local bands. You will find food trucks and entertainers, crafts and fun-loving crowds across several blocked off blocks and the park in the town square. The music was fantastic.  It was hard to sit still, and not just from my hemorrhoids; I couldn’t help but dance.  It was so good, I kept dancing for half an hour after they were done. Then in the morning, you can go to the farmer's market for home grown vegetables, local honey and handcrafted Kentucky country home goods, and home brewed Kombucha.

Festival

Finally, Berea is where we discovered Ale81. Ale81 (pronounces "a late one"… Hey, don't ask me. It's Kentucky.) is a locally produced soda pop, a family owned business. You will find Ale81 pervasively in shops throughout Kentucky. Personally, I stopped drinking soda pop years ago when I discovered Kombucha. I decided to substitute probiotics and my own brew for chemicals and global corporations. But being local and quirky, I had to try it. It was incredible. It is like a mix of Vernors (the best Ginger Ale in the world, says the Michigan Native about the pop that was once a local Detroit only Ginger Ale), and Mountain Dew. I quickly developed an addiction and was buying a six pack every other day, and smuggling two liters into work.

Berea is a fun, cute, intelligent little hippie city. It is on my list of places I must return to, especially on Friday nights. With or without Ale81, and in spite of Boone Tavern management not wearing leather chaps