Oktoberfest - Hour Two

Oktoberfest reminded me of Halloween, so many people dressed up and not always in traditional lederhosen.  In our tent we had Spider Man and some other super hero, they were able to get on stage and lead us in some festive songs as seen in the video below.

The animal decor of our tent

Oktoberfest - Hour One

We spent a total of just over five hours at Armbrustschutzenzelt (say that three times) tent.  The band kept the crowd lively with songs and chants and all sorts of cheers.  I came away knowing one German word, "prost" or cheers.

Seen walking out of the tent, the last type of patrons I would expect to see at Oktoberfest!

The interior

Oh yummy!  Scott and I split a half chicken during hour three.

The band.  They kept the crowd going!

S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G IT OUT

Sorry for the bad formatting right now.  I am trying a new format called stretch and I need to do some work on our header.

Let me know what you think.  Should I go back to the normal version or do you like the larger photos?

Update:  Stretch did not receive kind reviews, so we are going back to normal.  Thank you!

Hofbrauhaus - Night Number One

The Hofbräuhaus in Munich inspired a world wide famous song, and the phrase "oans, zwoa, g'suffa" (bavarian dialect for: "one, two, chug").  Our singing didn't include this song, it was more a long chat, you can hear for yourself in the video below.  

Greg and Josh in traditional attire

Beer number two or three?

Yes, pictures of our food!  Brat with sauerkraut (the best I have ever had) and chicken schnitzel.  Something about salty food with beer is so good.

Singing on the benches!

Munich - Night Number One

After a little over seven hours on the train, we arrived in Munich Thursday evening ready to experience Oktoberfest.  First order of business was to meet up with Kyle, Ashley, Greg and Josh.  Our hotel, Platzl Hotel, was perfectly located next to Marienplatz and the Hofbrauhaus, a famous restaurant in Old Town Munich.  Our first impressions of Munich after getting of the train and walking to our hotel were:  (1) a lot of people really do wear lederhosen for this event; (2) Scott was experiencing deja vu from his trip last year; (3) and everyone seemed very merry and festive.

Standing in Marienplatz

Kyle and Ashley

Large beers require two hands to drink

Portland ~ We miss you!

Giddy for Oktoberfest

We are training for Oktoberfest tonight and I am a little nervous.  I saw somewhere that one Oktoberfest beer is equal to about three American beers with a higher alcohol content.  I might need to just be the photographer on this trip and let the boys, excuse me, men be the participants.  We leave this Thursday for Munich, so stay tuned for lots of photos on Sunday when we are home and hopefully recovering from our trip!

Images from Oktoberfest

Fall + Blankets = Coziness

Tomorrow is the first day of fall, my favorite season.  There have been signs over the past few weeks that the change in season was near.  The temperature is cooler, it is getting dark earlier in the evening and still dark in the morning, the rainy season has begun (although not has bad as Portland just yet), the leaves are changing color and the grape harvest has begun.  With this coolness in the air, I also get to partake in a favorite past time of mine, curled up on the couch with a wool blanket over me.  Whether I am watching TV, drinking a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, reading a good book or napping, a blanket is the key to comfort for me.

What is your favorite part about fall?

My favorite blankets:  Pendleton Woolen Mills

The Perfect Christmas Card Photo

Shannon, Logan and Kevin ~ Thank you again for visiting!

Saturday Errands

Our Saturday errands:  wash the Volvo, vacuum the Volvo, buy train tickets to Munich for Thursday, grocery shop, clean house, laundry and of course watch some college football!  I hope you are all enjoying your Saturday.

Hallelujah for directions in English!

A Cheesy Competition

A competitor wheels Swiss cheese around an obstacle course at a championship event in Bern on September 5th.  Only in Switzerland, right?

Source:  Swissinfo.ch

Gorner Gorge Hike

We had this brilliant idea to hike the Gorner Gorge trail on Sunday, it is a footpath across narrow bridges and steps that guides you through the deep gorge along a stream.  Once again Shannon completed a hike with little Logan on her back and meanwhile, I was shaking and clinging to rocks along the path.  What were Scott and Kevin up to?  Oh laughing, taking photos, looking over the edge, freaking us out!

Contract Extension!

Today my contract with Lexmark was extended for six more months!  It is a huge blessing to be employed right now and we are very thankful.  Time to book another vacation!

To Scott: Thank you for always taking my hand

Freya Art & Design

Zermatt in September

This past Saturday we drove to Zermatt to show the McMahons the Matterhorn.  As you saw below the car ride was quite eventful for the last 30 minutes due to Logan officially wanting out of his car seat!  Once we arrived we were at peace though and enjoyed a big lunch together, went on a hike and toured the downtown area of Zermatt.  If you travel to Switerland, we highly recommend visiting this alpine village.

Waiting for the train from Tasch to Zermatt

Beers for the adults and water for the little guy

The Matterhorn peaking through the clouds

We look tired.  Shannon is packing 20 extra pounds on her back, aka Logan.  So what is my excuse?  Don't you love our matching hats too?

Logan officially hiking in Switzerland!

Let'er Buck

The biggest annual event in Pendleton, Oregon (my hometown) starts this week, The Pendleton Round Up.  It is the 99th Anniversary of the rodeo this year and tickets are already for sale for the 100th anniversary in 2010.

As the saying goes, Let'er Buck!

The Many Faces of Logan

Scott and I have been exposed to the life of a 15 month old and we are very amazed with the parenting skills of Shannon and Kevin.  This boy knows how to wear you out!  The opportunity to spend this much time with our nephew has been priceless.  A big thank you to his parents for coming all this way to be with us.

Sweet and innocent face

Fast asleep face

Showing off his favorite shirt

Extremely unhappy to be in his car seat after a few hours

Unhappy that Uncle Scott is carrying him

A glimpse of a smile on our hike around the Matterhorn

At last a smile during a toss from Dada