I never thought I would make it past those Spain photos. Fast forward 6 months (I did nothing in that time span). I end up in New Braunfels, Texas, for the annual Wurstfest. I have no idea why I waited so long to visit a sausage and beer festival. This kind of thing should be a no-brainer, but this time logistics worked out (ie Kristen really wanted to go, and she's got family in town too).
Kristen's aunt and uncle were awesome hosts. Her buzzed uncle offered us beers upon arrival, and the family was a fun bunch to talk to. Her uncle David is also an Opa, meaning he is one of an elite group of community members, a secret order of freemasons, so to speak, that guard and maintain the traditions of The Wurst. During the entire festival, he wears the traditional Opa garb (lederhosen), while his wife wears hers (a dirndl), and they act as hosts to all us visitors.
 |
| The main Wurstehalle, from the view of the Opa balcony. Had some fun dancing here later that night. |
 |
| Former Grand Opas (or whatever they're called) through the years. |
 |
| A look outdoors |
Besides the food, beverages and music, there's some carnival games and rides as well. My favorite is the bear ride, an apparatus consisting of about 8 big bears being spun around in a big circle. If you look at the mural on the outside of the grounds, look for the bear - my friend Grant Warnecke is inside with his brother. He's grown a lot taller since.
There's a lot about this weekend that cannot be told in pictures. All the things I ate and didn't bother photographing. The constant phone calls from work and the 1 am conference call (4 months of drilling a well, and things don't get interesting until I'm trying to drink myself silly at a sausage fest). As Kristen will be in New Zealand next year, I'll have to find a new group next year; I hope you can come!
No comments:
Post a Comment