ALTE LINDE IN REGENSBURG

Thank you Grand Circle for a wonderful evening. We had dinner out at a local Bavarian restaurant, Alte Linde at Mullerstrasse in Regensburg. 

We walk in to be greeted by 4 members of an Oompah band and the moment the music starts you want to DANCE!!!

It started off with a local beer, which was really mild (sort of like Dos Equis). Now, I normally don't drink beer, but this went down so smooth!!! I stopped at one, but my dear friend, whom shall remain nameless, had 4 during the evening, which isn't bad, unless you add the wine. I had 3 glasses, she had 4. 

The meal, typical Bavarian, started with a delicious potato and leek soup, followed by a plate containing 3 local sausages, veal, potato dumpling, and the best sauerkraut I've ever tasted. All evening the band continued playing and even celebrated 2 birthdays in our group. 

We were lucky to have our Tour Director, Milena, and Wiebe from Amsterdam, at our table. Wiebe educated us on Amsterdam and gave us some wonderful hints about what we should do there at the end of our river cruise. 

Thinking that the 'drinking' was over, what happens but they bring  out Schnappes, which as we were told that we needed to 'down' it'....what an easy way to add to you buzz!

All in all it was a great evening with wonderful friends.  Even the taxi ride was a blast! The driver must have thought .. 'crazy Americans' but we couldn't stop laughing..between  discussing where a certain person had his pockets, and where we'd like to put them, to the empty bottle of wine I presented to Anna as a reminder of a momentus evening, to the Russian, German, Italian, and Spanish phrases we learned to help us on future tours. 

I need to mention Wiebe. The first time I saw him (I had not yet met him) he was walking down the hall heading to the restaurant and tilting his head every time he walked past one of the smoke alarms in the hall. Tilting from right to left every few feet, it was hysterical watching him. After meeting him this evening I would call him a gentle giant. This young man is 6'8", an arm span that could reach across a room, and a complete delight. Originally from Amsterdam, he has been all over Europe and visited the States many times, including my own New Jersey, and he is part of the Grand Circle family...they are lucky to have him. If only I was young again....I would definitely learn several languages and take on the world the way these tour directors do.

Well, it's time to sleep off the buzz...we're off tomorrow to a Bavarian monastary...to pray for forgiveness...or to taste more beer....guess we'll have to wait to find out which one is in store for us.