OBAMA PARTY IN TACOMA...THANK YOU GOD!!!!

Dear friends around the world:

We had a great time with the younger generation tonight. Travis and Gabe invited us their house for an election night party which, as it turns out, was a great experience. I say it was a great experience, not because Barack won, but because only 5 of the 20 or so folks in attendance were over the age of 30.

For all you old folks out there let me tell you, in no uncertain terms, we are in good hands. I have great faith in our youth, we raised them well , yes pat yourself on your collective backs. Barack has a vision which we needed as a country, and our young people are ready to carry it out with a plan for the future. They are ready to provide the ongoing supprt to make that vision a reality.

Our country has work to do, plans to make, amends to make, and leadership to take, and we are there! We are on the threshold of a new and uplifting enterprise, of greatness, one which will require: sacrifice, energy, compromise, and above all empathy for the defeated. Let us not forget what it was like to lose an election and watch our country go in the wrong direction. Let us reach out to our neighbors with whom which we may not agree, and seek compromise. Let us not let "hubris" tarnish our souls.

My dear friends this day will be written in the history books.

There are many sub plots to an election such as this and I'll only address one. Consider that our country now has it's first african american president. Thank all of you and thank god that this is now a reality. I am a white middle aged (55) american white male person. I rejoyce that we live in a county where this is finally a reality, halleluya brothers and sisters. Let my tears and those of Jesse Jackson stand in testament of this momentos occasion.

From what I have seen tonight, and many other occasions, with the energy of our children, and ours, we are ready for the challenges, ready for the hard work of required of this nation. The world will follow on a path which will be uplifting to the human spirit ,and which will take us through this century of global hope and peace.

For my kids out there: Get ready to work your asses off with me!! Given the negative economic outlook, we have to work our way out of, I'll be working with you until I box out, but that's ok, as long as we are heading in the right direction.

The Mule

BACK HOME AT THE HUSKY GAME

Gruesst euch alle

MUNICH OKTOBERFEST - FRIENDS - BMW WELT, October 1, 2008

OKTOBERFEST IN MUNICH

We drove to Munich and parked at the Nympfenburger Schloss (edge of town) then took the tram into town the the Hacker Bruecke from where we walked a short kilometer to the "Fest Wiese". We got there early about 10:00 AM to avoid some of the crowds. By noon the place was wall to wall people.

These are the typical beer tents, they hold thousands of people. There are about a dozen tents of different breweries.

A VISIT WITH MY COUSIN IN UFFING AT STAFFELSEE - HISTORY- ART- TECHNOLOGY- SEPT. 30, 2008

Our day started out by checking in with my cousin Elizabeth and her friend Johannes. We drove down from Ulm, and after a short visit at their house we all got into their car and took off.

HISTORY & RELIGION BAVARIA

Our first stop was Oberammergau, the home of the world famous passion play in which the whole villiage participates. As luck would have it we got there just in time for a tour.

The next time the play will occur is in summer of 2010, we signed up to get the e-mail notification for tickets. It would be a once in a life time to see the passion play there.

The first play was held in 1634. After being hit hard by the plague in 1633 during the thirty years war and losing 80 of its citizens, the town made a promise to god that they would stage a passion play every ten years, if only he would spare them of the plague in the future. No one has died of the plague in Oberammergau since then.

Her we are during our behind the scenes tour.
All the actors play characters which are their age so no makeup is required to change the age.

While the seating area is covered the stage is not. This must have been the place where the saying "The show must go on!" was coined. Even when it snows as often it does in the late October the show continues.

The building has seating for 5,000 people and the stage has as many as 800 on it at one time.
The City sends out a notice that all residents are to start growing out their hair and their beards a year in advance of the play. Even city residents who are military and police are allowed to grow out their hair. The town has a population of a little less than 5,000 people and 2,400 more or less choose to participate directly in the staging of the play. This becomes a logistical issue, getting all those folks to have a shot on the stage. The main actors are chosen by the town and the director, but every citizen has the right to participate if even via a small part in a large group scene.
This table, used for the last supper scene, is over 200 years old. Interestingly the play now depicts Christ and the apostles as jews that they were rather than in christian garb, thus the minora. This was major, but postive change.

Follow this link to the Oberammergau Passion Play site: http://www.passionsspiele2010.de/

ART BAVARIA

From Oberammergau we took off for the Kochelsee (lake) to see the newly open Franz Marc Museum. Here is just a little taste of the beutiful work of the "Blauen Reiter Gruppe" of artists. Franz and Maria Marc actually lived on the site in a house, now in front of the museum from 1910-1914.

Another example of the work of Franz Marc. Follow this link to the web site of the museum for more information: http://www.franz-marc-museum.de/

TECHNOLOGY BAVARIA

To round out our day we swung by, the close by, power plant at the Walchensee. Thsi really reminded of us of the Cushman Power Plant at the end of Hood Canal by Hoodsport in the Washington State. This actually the large terminus of a serious of smaller plants feeding the Walchen see. Even parts of the Isar River are re-directed into this plant.

Follow this link: http://www.eon-wasserkraft.com/ for more information on powerplants and the Walchensee plant.

Turbins!! too cool! Oh well of to afternoon coffee on the lake and then back home. Great day! Great Friends! and Great Fun!

THANK YOU ELIZBETH AND JOHANNES

A CONCERT IN GASTHAUS KRONE IN OBERFAHLHEIM WITH WALTER SPIRA

We went out for dinner at the Gasthaus Krone close to Angie's house. They had some musical entertainment that evening by Walter Spira (Singer/Guitar) and Markus Munzer-Dorn (classical guitar). Walter Spira has a web site at: www.walterspira.de in case you have and interest in his music. He does some very touching but also funny stuff and all of it in "Schwaebisch" dialect which, I for one, really have to listen to to understand. The food was good, the company great, and the performace awesome and fun (over two and one half hours) these guys worked hard.

I put together a little video of one of his songs with slides of the area when we just cruising around. Hope you enjoy it. :)

SEPTEMBER 27, 2008 VISIT WITH JOSEF KAST BMW COLLECTOR, MECHANIC, RESTORER & PARTS MANUFACTURER

DANKE HER KAST FUER EIN SCHOENES ERLEBNIS!

Today I had the great opportunity to meet with Josef Kast who has been restoring and collecting BMW motorcycles since 1972. How we connected was really kind of serquitus. My daughter Maria went to see my sister Angie this August. Maria went to a painting clinic with Angie and her husband Fritz in Pasalmonte, Italy. The wife of the artist was Josef's daughter. She and her husband in turn had two daughters who really wanted some wheely shoes from the US. So we brougth them some on our trip this September and October. Well it just so happens the, Traul, the artist's (Reiner) wife was Mr. Kast's daugter. So we met them in Voehringen where Josef lives. I know long story but kind of fun, at least for me.

Josef with a part of his collection. They live in an old farmhouse with numerous out buildings, most of which are used for storge or shop space

Here is a 1944 military side care bike. Josef has two of these, the other one is presently on display elsewhere, it is painted in military colors and ensignias. This one is in perfect shape as well but he uses it as a daily rider, or should I say stump jumper. The rig will carry 400 kilos. The sidecar wheel is also shaft driven by the way. The main shaft goes from the transmission to the rear differetial where another shaft feeds the sidecar wheel. It also has a reverse gear believe it or not.

Naturally I got a ride on the beast. In this photo we are just comming back from the back fourty where we negotiated about a 30 degree bank down and up, by the way with the side car wheel not even engaged. You can tell that Josef really loves these machines and does his work be in order to carry on a tradition of quality.....oh ya there would also be the fun!

Oh naturally the huge shop is not to be forgotten. It housed stock metals and milling equipment that have been gathered and used for over fourty years. Joseph used to sell his manufactured part all over the world. He had two crates stacked in front of the shop with restored bikes going to Bazil.

Here is a resoration of an R32 in progress, the second one he is working on. Notice that the springs for example are no longer available so he manufactures them himself, tempers them, and has them nickel plated. Josef also manufactures old nuts and bolts where the pitch and sizes are no longer in use. He does them by batch and saves them for a rainy day. Max Friz's created the R32, in 1923, by improving the earlier M2B15 engine designed with MartinStolle that leads BMW to its first serious motorcycle. Using otherdesigns like Rudolph Schleicher's aluminum cylinders,Friz engineers a motorcycle with a 486-cc engine that reaches a top speed of about 60 mph. Then the R 32 became the foundation for all future machine designsby BMW until the introduction of the K-Series in 1983.

The above photo is of an R32 that Josef had restored. As it turned out we had to take a drive to a town, close by, call Bellengergen where it was on display at the twenty fifth aniverasy event of the Bellenbergen MC Club. Pretty cool huh!!

GREECE DAY 4 - SEPTEMBER 17, 2008 - EPIDAURUS, ANCIENT CORINTH, ACRO CORINTH, TO PIRAEUS HARBOR & MANINA ZEA, HOTEL PHAROS

Today we left our base at Tolo on the beach to head for our hotel Piraeus between the harbor of Piraeus and the Manina Zea where our cruise boat is anchored. First we took off for the famous theatre at Epidaurus.

Rudy and Angie hoofing it up the stairs to the theatre of Epidaurus.

View of the theatre behind us as it reveals itself when you approach from the performance side.

The acoustics in this theatre are amazing. A person standing in the center down below crumpled some paper and we heard it as if they were standing next to us!

Check out the video of the theatre, you can hear a lady singing way below in the background. Sorry for the quality, it was taken with our picture camera, but I think it gives you and idea of the place which transcends just photos.

Here is the temple in the center of Ancient Corinth.

this is a shot we took before heading up to Acro Corinth on the hill from Ancient Corinth. We were told that in antiquity the whole hillside up to the rocks was covered with houses.

Angie and Beth through the first gate of Acro Corinth.

Trust me it was quite a hike up to the top.

Looking back at the country side below the fortress.

Beth's knee was giving her some trouble but that didn't stop here from making it to the top as she usually does, wow what a view!

The day ended with us checking into the Pharos Hotel in Piraeus. Above is a shot of Marina Zea, a beautiful marina over the hill from Piraeus Harbor.

Angie decided to get the weather report while drinking her bottle of Retzina Wine.....burrr!! not my favorite.

I'll end the day with a shot of this BMW scooter which they don't import into the US, interesting rig.