after a wonderful trip back to Nuernberg/Wiesau/Coburg/Wunsiedel/Franzensbad/
Karlsbad and Mannheim I am glad to report to be back in the land of the "Big PX". How great it is to be back in 90degree heat and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. As far as beerstein collecting the trip was a bust...just a couple of freebees from my cousins restaurants...we drank a lot of beer...but as you all know most Hefe Weizen is being consumed out of tall glasses...there really is no more need for steins...they are outmoded by beer that is being served fresh (not frozen)and consumed quickly...also one sees more and more cans...not in restaurant though...the reason for our trip was a nieces wedding, but we did get to go to Veldenstein (Goering's castle)Nuernberg and Wunsiedel...that is todays quiz guestion...why did we go to Wunsiedel...it is only 10 miles from my mom's hometown of Wiesau. A cousin lives in Wunsiedel so he showed us around. The minute I get some good pics I'll post them...till later...Prosit...your SteinMeister.

Welcome back,Herr Scheck.Paul

thanx Paul...glad to be back...obviously the quiz guestion was harder than I thought...anyways...it Rudolf Hess's grave that is in Wunsiedel...the focal point of pro nazi demonstrations every year...we just were curious what all the fuss was about...a quite ordinary grave...the inscription read...Ich habs gewagt...meaning in english...I have risked it...I think I know why he chose those words...I think Adolf knew what he was about to do...perhaps even on Hitler's instructions...it didnt work out so he wound up holding the bag...he would have been the hero had he been able to talk Winston Churchill out of the war...remember now...at the time of his flight...France had fallen...Poland was conquored...Russia and the US were not yet in the war...talking England into an agreement would have effectively ended the war...er hats gewagt...only your SteinMeisters opinion...regards...Roland.

Roland: Good to have you back again. Now you are back knowing that Homeland Security will protect you.
Since you were gone we experienced a great disaster. Thats when we found out just how protected we really are. Seems like the emergency preparedness was geared for a scenario in which no disasters actually occur. And FEMA truly proved to measure up to the difficult task of doing nothing. It was another delightful example of your tax dollars in action.

Roland - Welcome back - Guess you didnt hang around for the Greatest Beer Blast of them all the Munich "Oktoberfest" which is now underway. When I go over , every two years or so I make sure I do it around this time to at least make the Oktoberfest once.
Theres alot of great antique stores in and around Muinch not to forget the Great Biergartens, Weisswurst and Schweinshacks.

goldfasan, Paul, Manfred...

first off, I was very very aware that we had to come back on the day that the Oktoberfest started (9/17/05) and we tried to make up for it on the way home...but we did do the schauefele, brats (my college who traveled with me said he didnt care if he ever saw another)...me, I could eat them five times a day...we also did the Weisswurst thing...in the afternoon none the less...sacreligious for you guys from Muenchen...I know...and sour Brats...all washed down with plenty of Hefe Weizen...I was a terrific trip...I got the disk back today...if somebody offers to post some pics for me I'll send them the disk...my son who usually does it for me is in Ft. Jackson right now...
we went to visit a member of the family (my late cousins husband) and celebrated his 81birthday with him...after all the festivities were over with he showed us some of his pictures mounted in the hallway...like a lot of German homes have...towards the end of the hallway I noticed a little silver and black handpainted shield with a skeleton key and the letters LSSAH on it...my ears must have jumped up like a pointers and I asked him...BTW I knew from the years past that he had been wunded three times and was kept in captivity by the Ruskies until 1955...so I soke up...Hans were did you get the shield...his reply...I made it while in captivity...I could not believe what he told us...Please dont tell anyone! he said...not even my son or daughter in law...nobody in Wiesau knows what I did during the war...but you could tell that he was also pleased that somebody recognized the unit...but he assured us that other than us Amis who were on the verge of leaving...no one else was to know...I gave him a big hug on the way out...guys...here is a man who served his country...who I have know since I was a little boy as a gentle giant...who goes to visit my cousins grave twice a day...and who I have know to be a gentleman and scholar...I will post his pics the minute Eric comes home...on the way back my co-worker asked me why we didnt ask him about his dagger etc...smile...when I get home next time and if I can muster the nerve I will ask him that question...
I have so much more to tell you...but I dont want to ramble on...so till next time...Rolando Euer SteinMeister.

Rolando,

Good to have you back, thanks for the good stories. One of these days we must raise a couple of "tall-ones" together!

Willi