And here we are, home again

Last Wednesday, I and several other members of Brighton Lions Club flew to Germany to meet up with the Schleissheim Lions Club with which we are slowly forming a close relationship.  We flew back last night after a most interesting and enjoyable few days in and around Munich.  We left Munich in temperatures about 35 Celsius, only to land at Gatwick where the temperature was 20 degrees lower.  It felt almost freezing!


I can't say I am over-keen on Bavarian food and I'm unable to drink their beer, but visits to beer
gardens and the famous Hofbrauhaus in Munich were musts.

The oompah band was playing when we went into the Hofbrauhaus, as shown left.  The beer hall is enormous with dozens of large tables, some of which are reserved on regular and/or at regular times for regular guests.  Regular guests are also able to keep their own beer steins in special locked cages - but there are only 550 of these and the right to keep one's own stein here can be passed on as an inheritance!

When I - and many others - hear the name 'Dachau' there is only one thing that springs to mind.  Or there was only one thing.  That has changed a little now as we visited the town yesterday for the church fete.  We arrived just before the open-air service had finished and were amused to see that as the congregation stood for the final hymn, some men swiftly removed the benches acting as pews.  These were then placed beside the tables already set up under the chestnut trees in readiness for the midday meal - and drinks - to be served.  We spent most of the afternoon relaxing in the shade of the trees while the temperature soared to nearly 40 C - 104F, eating, drinking and chatting with our German friends.

So now its back to earth again.