The Oktoberfest is coming up! Prost!

September 18th and everybody is going "PROST"!


The 177th annual Oktoberfest is starting September 18th and will last until October 4th.  I have been once to the "real" Oktoberfest and it was fascinating! Definitely not a place for people with OCD ;-)


Here are some things that I thought might be interesting to know:


How is an Oktoberfest beer mug "Stein" made?

Did you know that a complete series of all Oktoberfest steins is worth several thousand euros. Each step, to make the Stein, requires precise manual work, so that each of the limited edition Oktoberfest steins a little work of art.

I researched it a little bit for you and I found out, how the mug is made. 

The "Stein" also called "Maß" is made out of clay. The first step is to form the Stein without the handle. Afterwards the handle will be carefully added to the mug. 

With a damp sponge, the transitions from the handle and the mug are smoothened out, so that the whole surface is evenly and smooth.

In a large brick furnace, the mugs are then brazed at about 1000 degrees Celsius until they are hard like stone ;-) (get it? Stein = Stone)

After the "Stein" has cooled off, the official Oktoberfest logo is carefully placed by hand on the mug and smoothed out. Now the beer mug looks almost like a proper Oktoberfest beer stein.

With a fine brush, colored edges are painted around the mug. A rotating disc, on which the Oktoberfeststein is placed, mades this procedure a little bit easier to do. 

Next up, the "Stein" is put back in the furnace. With this procedure, the Logo is inextricably linked with the mug. Now the collector "Stein" is read! For the "Stein" that is used at the Oktoberfest, a tin lid is added as a last step in this procedure.

A solid, handmade tin lid is added to the "Stein". Every year, a different embossed lid is placed on each mug. this year, the lid will have an embossing from Crown Prince Ludwig and Therese Hildburghausen's royal wedding. 

For Sale: 1998 BMW Dinan 5 - with a 6-Speed Manual Transmission

SOLD :-)


Hi Everyone,

I have my Bavarian "Black Beauty" up for sale. It has a 6-speed Manual Transmission, just like a German car suppose to have ;-)

It is a great car, but it's time to move to something a little bigger. No, not an SUV but maybe a BMW Touring. This Dinan 5 is truly a special car. Anyone who loves a fast, comfortable ride, will love it! It just has everything: Torque, Speed and Comfort... what else do you need?

Please check out the auction on eBay: http://bit.ly/adhNVI and please feel free to forward it to anyone who might be interested.

Thank you!

Aldi / Trader Joe's Co-Founder dies at 88 in Germany

Theo Albrecht died Saturday in his home city of Essen, Germany.

Theo Albrecht was the secretive co-founder of Germany's worldwide discount supermarket chain ALDI and co-owner of Trader Joe's in the United States and one of Europe's richest men.

When I used to live in Germany, Aldi was one of the grocery stores I went to a lot! Great products and cheap. Why? Because they did not sell the name. Aldi had "No Name Brands" but it was the exact same product then the "Brand Name" products, just a lot cheaper. Why pay for the name! I used to love shopping there. 

Then I moved to the States and I found Trader Joe's. My favorite grocery store here and who new, it was the same owner then Aldi! I did not know that until about a year ago. They are totally different stores, yet something about them makes them great! I guess it's the price/quality they have. 

Rest in peace Mr. Albrecht. Thank you for opening those great stores! 

Danke!

This is an Aldi close to where I used to live

This is how an Aldi looks inside. Really nothing special or fancy but easy find the things that you need.













This is the beer sections! And yes, most Germans buy it in the case!

Auto und Technik Museum - Sinsheim

Want to see nice cars, airplanes and more, view more than 3,000 exhibits from all areas of technical history on more than 30,000 square meters of indoor space and in our open air ground. The exhibitions include a genuine CONCORDE from Air France and the Russian Tupolev TU-144, more than 300 classic cars, 200 motorcycles, 40 racing cars, the largest permament formula-1 exhibition in Europe, 60 airplanes, 20 locomotives, and much more.

The best "No Speed Limit" Autobahn's in Germany

Here are the best "Autobahnen" without speed limit:

A5 - between Frankfurt and Darmstadt

A9 - north between Bayreuth and Hof

A81 - between Heilbronn-Würzburg

A81 - between Stuttgart-Singenand

A70 - between Schweinfurt Bayreuth. Here you can test out your car :)

A31 - north of Bottrop. This stretch is really recommended for test drives. It is also being used from the guys at Brabus! You could for example drift of to the Nordschleife You'll just have to look for the opening times, maybe you can find a section, with "free" lanes and then... wroom

And last but not least: Munich - Garmisch. Is by far the best Autobahn, about 100 kilometers without limitation, Traumlandschaft! Long curves, sometimes even slightly banked curves... a dream come true! Is also not so far away from the Schweitz.

Driving in the Rain - Skidding and Hydroplaning in Rainy Conditions

I just saw an article on weather.com and I wanted to share it with you. Since I learned how to drive in Germany (and believe me, it rains A LOT there) I liked the article. Here it is:

Skidding and Hydroplaning in Rainy Conditions

Losing control of your car on wet pavement is a frightening experience.

Skids are scary but hydroplaning is completely nerve-wracking.

Hydroplaning happens when the water in front of your tires builds up faster than your car's weight can push it out of the way. The water pressure causes your car to rise up and slide on a thin layer of water between your tires.

Taking these simple tips into account can save your life.

1. You can prevent skids by driving slowly and carefully, especially on curves. Steer and brake with a light touch. When you need to stop or slow, do not brake hard or lock the wheels and risk a skid. Maintain mild pressure on the brake pedal.
2. If you do find yourself in a skid, remain calm, ease your foot off the gas, and carefully steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go. For cars without anti-lock brakes, avoid using your brakes. This procedure, known as "steering into the skid," will bring the back end of your car in line with the front. If your car has ABS, brake firmly as you steer into the skid.
3. Avoid hydroplaning by keeping your tires inflated correctly. Maintain good tire tread. Don't put off replacing worn tires. Slow down when roads are wet, and stay away from puddles. Try to drive in the tire tracks left by the cars in front of you.
4. If you find yourself hydroplaning, do not brake or turn suddenly. This could throw your car into a skid. Ease your foot off the gas until the car slows and you can feel the road again. If you need to brake, do it gently with light pumping actions. If your car has anti-lock brakes, then brake normally. The car's computer will automatically pump the brakes much more effectively than a person can do.
5. A defensive driver adjusts his or her speed to the wet road conditions in time to avoid having to use any of these measures. 

Drive Safe!