Ayinger Brewery

Near Munich there's the privately owned Ayinger Brewery which was founded in 1878. This Sunday there was a country fair with a farmer's and handicraft market. Moreover, it was a Doors Open Day -- you could visit the brewery and see how the beer bottles were washed, filled, labelled, and put into boxes which were finally stapled up to the ceiling. I guess I took photos of every single beer bottle in the huge room, so now I had a hard time choosing only a couple of photos to show here.

The machinery was impressing -- very modern and effective. Bottles travelled on conveyor belts at high speed -- watch out for the action photo below. It was also loud -- not only the machinery but also the beer bottles clinking whenever they reached a sort of meeting point on their way. At the side there were a few older beer-making machines to show the difference between now and then. Those machines had a charm of their own.

The farmers' and handicraft market was very neat. I especially loved the mouses made from pretzel dough -- so very cute and tasty as well! We brought home Rubinette apples (the best apples ever!) as well as a little souvenir -- a handmade little bowl with a mouse figurine sitting on the brim.

Vintage Halloween

Here's a bit of Halloween nostalgia:

Birkenstein

Today was one of those golden October days which is perfect for an outing in the alpine upland. A popular place of pilgrimage is Birkenstein which belongs to the community of Fischbachau, a town in the county of Miesbach in Upper Bavaria.

The pilgrimage chapel Maria Himmelfahrt was built in 1710. The altar of the small chapel is very impressing with the beautiful statue of Mary at the altar center surrounded by many other saints statues. Moreover, there is an open air altar opposite of the chapel.

Fall has definitely come to Bavaria now. The forest around Birkenstein was beautiful in the sun and the fallen leaves looked even more colorful against the still lush grass. I just love fall!

More views of the Oktoberfest

One of my favorite Wiesn attractions is the Riesenrad -- the giant ferris wheel. When you ever make it to the Oktoberfest, be sure to go for a ride -- the view is spectacular!

Another thing I like about the Oktoberfest is the old-fashioned and traditonal atmosphere which you can still find when you take the time to look -- for example the beautiful harnesses worn by the magnificent horses who draw the beer wagons which are decorated with flowers.

The fairground has lots of different attractions -- from old-fashioned carousels with organ music to the latest rides which make you to go upside down over and over again.

On the last photo you see the front of the tunnel of horror ride which scared me as a child. There's Frankenstein who turns to the left after a while and goes after a horrified maiden. He finally reaches her and slowly bows down while she shies away from him in horror. So much for my childhood trauma...

Getting to know Munich & Oktoberfest

Created with the Newspaper Clipping Generator -- great fun! As for the Oktoberfest or Wiesn as locals call it, I didn't go there this year. However, here are a couple of my photos taken in 2003 and 2006:

A typical gingerbread heart -- the words mean:
Greeting from the Munich Oktoberfest.

The Oktoberfest is probably best known for its beer. Above you see the part where the beer tents are located and below you can have a look into one of them.

Boo To You

The weather is mostly gray and dreary -- no wonder that Halloween is on my mind... Boo!

Halloween was on her mind

Are you getting into the mood, too?

Smile

I found this little fellow sitting on the wall of my study:

Pumpkin Harvest

One of my favorite fall joys are pumpkins -- the shapes, the colors, and also the taste! Moreover, I like the pumpkin plant itself with its curly knots and gorgeous blossoms. One of the many grasshoppers living in the garden chose a huge pumpkin leaf to enjoy the morning sun. Anyway, summer has nearly come to end in the meantime, so I recently harvested the eight pumpkins which grew alongside the house. Aren't they great?

Spider

Look who lives in the garden:"The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship."

-- William Blake

Enchiladas

I always enjoy cooking ethnic dishes. One of my favorite dishes are Enchiladas. I recently made them again -- a fantastic chance to use the funny western-style plates I bought at Auer Dult:

Strawberries

Aren't strawberries are a fantastic treat? They taste exceptionally delicious when the sun is shining and you freshly pick them yourself, eating them right away. What a fabulous taste of sun and summer! In June, I had the chance to pick strawberries on a nearby field.

Dragonfly

Aren't the colors of this dragonfly amazing? I found it resting on the patio and took the chance to take a photo: