Bavaria

Another bye week for the Diamonds so I travelled with Naso, a teammate, to his hometown of Burghausen in Bavaria. Naso is one of the most interesting guys on the team--a carpenter by trade and a member of the Diamonds for several years now. He lives fully in the present more than anyone I've ever met--the definition of spontaneity. I really like that he positions himself to enjoy life's moments as they come without worrying too much about an agenda. I mention this because it gives some insight into what my days in Bavaria looked like.

We originally intended to see Munich and a famous salt mine in Salzburg among other things, but we abandoned a plan altogether and visited whatever jumped in front of us. We didn't realize it until we arrived, but it turns out that Burghausen had their annual Folks Fest this weekend so we spent Thursday and Friday night with the locals. This was my first experience with these Fests that, from what I hear, make summers in Germany so much fun. Burghausen's Folks Fest was like a carnival and a theme-party rolled into one accompanied by live music and a huge beer tent. Almost everyone was wearing traditional German outfits--lederhosen for the men and dirndl for the women. I tried to sneak a few photos of these outfits. It was impossible for me to take these guys seriously.

On Friday, Naso and I visited the castle in Burghausen which is the largest castle complex in all of Europe. It overlooks the Salzach River which marks the border between Germany and Austria. The interesting thing about this castle is its usefulness today. Many of the castles I've visited in Germany serve no purpose beyond their historical significance and aesthetic qualities. But the castle in Burghausen has shops, restaurants, and even apartments for locals all built into the original structure. I can't think of a cooler place to live. Here is a picture of one end of the castle. It stretches over a kilometer long in the other direction.

Later on Friday, we saw the Chiemsee also known as the Bavarian Sea. The Alps standing at one end make it a beautiful sight but also cause unpredictable and often violent weather. We missed the worst part of it, but a huge hailstorm leveled the area minutes before we arrived. Here's a sample of the hail I'm talking about. It smashed a few car windows around us. But after such a storm, the skies left us with this picture.

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The weather eventually allowed for a great day at the lake. Naso's mother joined us and we took a ferry to a small island in the sea. We walked the island and had dinner before returning to Burghausen and the Folks Fest that night. Here's a shot from the island with the Alps in the background. There's still a bit of snow on the peaks.

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We play again this Saturday and should get a much needed win. I'm still waiting for my Visa to arrive so I can begin teaching. In the meantime, I'm reading, exercising, and still trying to explore different parts of the country.

God bless!