Oktoberfest 2011: Third Time's A Charm

Bann, Our German Hometown

Ethiopia: Injera, Shoulder Dancing, and Coffee Tourism

So as a kid growing up in the early 1980s, if you were to ask me what the poorest, most desolate place on earth was, I would have instantly answered, "Ethiopia." My perception of Africa was shaped by stuff like the "We are the world" song and thirty second commercial spots between episodes of Diff'rent Strokes about how for only a dollar a day I could sponsor some poor kid in Ethiopia. Needless to say, I didn't have very high expectations when I found myself on a trip to Ethiopia. When I landed, my world was turned on its head. Instead of the 110 degree hell on earth that is Djibouti, it was about 68 and drizzling. Never in my life was I so happy to be in such "bad" weather!

The sterotypes continued to be quashed. This place was so lush and reminded me a lot of Southern California in the early spring. Also, the food was outstanding. I wasn't so sure at first but I had to try the local dish which includes injera, which is a staple of the Ethiopian diet. It's like a spongy cross between a tortilla and a crepe. It's a lot like the rubber non slip rolls people use on the bottom of their shower or on the bottom of their cupboards. You break off some of that injera, use it to scoop up some form of meat (usually beef or lamb), dip it in some spicy sauce, and down it like there's no tomorrow. Preferrably this is followed by a few sips of beer but in this case, that was forbidden by the strict no drinking policy we have to follow in all of Africa.

There were some stereotypes that were right on th money. First, coffee here is legendary. Lonely Planet had an article about coffee tourism and listed Addis Ababa as the number one destination ahead of Seattle, Paris, and Columbia. I quickly discovered this was for good reason. First, coffee in Addis is cheap. REALLY CHEAP. I paid 12 Burr for a double machiatto (see pic below) which translates to around sixty cents. Same cup of coffee would have cost about $3.66 in the US.

Aside from coffee, I got to experience a great culture in Ehtiopia. A group of us headed out to a Ethiopian Restaurant called Yod Absynnia in downtown Addis. After parking our car next to a guy with an AK at his side (true story), we went inside for what can only be described as an Ethiopian Luau Oktoberfest complete with beer, local music, cultural dances, and tons of quirky local food. Check out the video:

Finally, here are a couple more pics from my trip:

Sahara, the house pet at the Civil Affairs BN house I stayed at

Me just after leaving the US Embassy there in Addis. No uniforms=no problem!

11 Aug: I had the chance to go out on Tues and spend time with some locals who were trying to learn English. It reminded me of Adrian Kronauer from the movie Good Morning Vietnam. Anyhow, it was very iteresting to hear their views on things like religion, love, and such. Based on what I saw, the Djiboutians are living proof that you don't need a lot of money to be happy. These were some of the happiest people I've seen and they have virtually nothing. One of the questions that was discussed amongst the group was "What is your best and worst day?" Many of the Djiboutians couldn't even think of a day that they would classify as their worst but all could easily come up with their happiest day. Also, I had a good discussion with a local on Sunday. I asked her what she thought of the Americans she said were well-liked amongst the Djiboutians. We give them jobs and build them schools. The French, according to her, are a bunch of bums and are simply relics from their colonial days

1 Aug: So let's talk weather. The problem is that when the winds blow from the ocean, it's super humid which makes it unbearable. 97 degrees with 100% humidity is miserable. The other problem is that there are few trees down in the low lands such as here. The trees that are here are stringy and are more like bushes. I'll take some pictures when I get a chance so you'll get a better idea of what I'm talking about. I suppose it could be worse considering that the weather today up in Saudi is over 120 degrees.

So I'm passed my second milestone--I'm in a new calendar month! Glad Aug is here and it came in with a bang! It rained hard last night. Yes, it rains here! Started around nine at night and lasted until around midnight. Feels really great. The air quality here is crap due to the blowing sand and the absolute lack of environmental measures when it comes to waste disposal and such. The rain cleans the air if for only a few minutes. Don't get me started on the air qualtiy around here. It's terrible.

28 Jul We went out to eat last night to a restaurant called "The Mask" in downtown Djiboutiville. While the surrounding area was super ghetto, the restaurant was an oasis. Atmosphere was phenomenal...kinda reminded me of the Elephant Bar. The walls were covered with bamboo and tribal warrior masks. Anyhow, I actually had to think about what day is was when I woke up this morning. This is actually a good sign! When the days start to blur together, that means time will start to fly by. Thank goodness. It helps that I've bonded with some of the other medics in the office across the hall. Definitely makes the quality of life better.

26 Jul: Today marks the 10% mark in my deployment. Only 90% to go. I hope it goes by faster than the first ten percent. To add to the good news, Jen and I are going to meet up in Germany at the end of next month. I'll be up in Stuttgart for a conference and will be allowed to take a few days off afterwards. This is the alternative to our Dubai trip. As it turned out, they won't allow military to go there on vacation. Guess it's too close to some global hot spots. Ironically you are allowed to go to Israel but it's definitely more dangerous there relative to Dubai. Regardless, Jen had zero interest in going there for whatever reason. Guess I'll have to make a pilgrimige to the Holy Land without her someday.
Work is going well. Some days fly by and others drag on. I worked all weekend because of the newly declared famine in Southern Somalia. I'm hoping we'll be asked to help these people out the best we can. Can't go into much detail but due to government policies, we have to be invited to assist. So far, the call hasn't come and it may never will.
It's nice to get off the base for a change. I was stuck here over the weekend because of the potential mission but I'm determined to break free this weekend. Next month they have arranged a bunch of morale trips to a local resort that is supposed to be spectacular. That's the weird thing about this country--there are little diamonds in the rough. Much of this has to do with the historic presence of the French in this area. These little gems are usually run for the French and for other Europeans.

17 Jul: Anyhow I'm about to watch the us put the smack down against japan in soccer. Will u be watching? (Post Script--We lost. Barely)

8 Jul: It's day two here in Djibouti and I have only 177 to go. Hope it goes quick. Anyhow, I made it here just fine and was travelling for two straight days. Needless to say I was super tired when I arrived. Things are much better now that I got a little sleep.
Living quarters are fine. Exact same as the last time I was here. In fact there is a chance that Im in the exacct same containerized living unit (CLU). Oh the irony. Got a roommate for now but will have my own place once a space opens up in the Field Grade CLUs. Until them I'm stuck. The good thing is my roommate is cool and is also a Major. That is always a concern.

7 Jul: I'm now up and running here at camp lemonnier. Just after landing we went off post and went to a training session with new medics from dj. No rest for the weary. Anyhow the heat here is legendary and is even worse than I remember it. Not sure how I'm going to train for the half marathon.

6 Jul: I'm in an airport terminal in Bahrain for another ninety minutes before we split for Dj. The journey so far hasn't been too bad except for a guy behind me that kept kneeing my chair. I was woken up multiple times by that fucker. Aside from that, it's just been a long trip. I've been sleeping on every leg so that time is passing alright. We're on a commercial charter flight and have made stops in Rota and Sigonella Sicily. Both of those places were fantastic and I was hoping the plane would be grounded while we were there. The weather in Sicily was perfecto and I was able to slip out of the terminal to find the NEX. I bought some sicilian cookies, pesto, and a ceramic wine topper. Was nice to be in Italy if only for a couple hours.

5 Jul: So the airport was crazy this am! Bags were checked but late. Am on the plane but bags may not make it. I finally got trough the line a mere 45 min before the flight. I'm crossing my fingers.

A New Chapter

So two years have passed since we've returned from Europe and the blog has remained largely dormant since then. Now it's time to open a new chapter! Time to blog not about Europe but Africa. Thanks to Daniel for urging me to get this started again.

Today, 14 Aug 11, is the 20% mark in my deployment to Djibouti which is located in the Horn of Africa. I'm going to begin with a retrospective from the last month or so and then will take it from there.

Best of Europe Awards

Time for a blog hiatus. But before taking a break from the blog, Jen and I wanted to throw together our best (and worst) of Europe list. So here we go!

Best hidden gem:
Greg: "Gotta be Murren (see pix to the right). This is a town high in the Swiss Alps that was stunning. I remember opening up my window in my hotel room and having a panoramic view of Jungfrau mountain. The next day Reagan and I hiked the entire day through this charming area. A close second would have to be St. Wolfgang in the Austrian Lakes District (Salzgammergut). On a smaller scale, Frankfurt's Palmengarten is a place that I will never forget and is awesome on a freezing day in Germany"
Jen: "Lakes region in Austria. Also, the entire country of Belgium. Belgian people were very friendly and the food was great. This is quintessential europe. Finally, Lucca in Tuscany. It seemed unaffected by the tourists. Primarily locals in this place"

Best Food:
Greg: "Loved the jaegerschnitzel anywhere in Germany. Zum Storchenest, our town restaurant, made the very best. I've tried the dish here in the US and no one so far has come close to what they serve in Germany. I also had goulash in Hungary and loved it. Not too spicy, not too bland...perfect"
Jen: "Chocolate croissants at Netto (our neighborhood store). They melted in your mouth...flaky and soft in your mouth all at the same time"

Biggest surprise:
Greg: "The Italian food in Germany was wonderful! Without exception it was made by Italian immigrants/expats who were probably looking to escape some of the insanity of Italy."
Jen: "How much Germans are like Americans culturally. After visiting places like Spain, France, Greece, it was clear that Germans (and somewhat the Irish) are like us. We eat meals at the same time, don't take siestas, like fireworks, etc.
Also, naked people. Europeans in general are not prude. It's not sexual to them...it seems normal. In America, they would be arrested.
Finally, I was surprised that cops didn't issue tickets. Speed cameras gave out all the tickets"

Place that lived up to the hype:
Greg: "Venice. It was even better than I imagined. Touristy? Absolutely...but for good reason. The canals, the confluence of architectural styles, Dogges Palace, and Saint Mark's Square; not one thing disappointed. I recently got back to Vegas and went to the Venitian trying to relive the authentic Venice experience and it wasn't even close.
A close second would have to be Capri. A lot of travel writers now urge their readers to skip this touristy mecca but they're doing their readers a disservice. So long as you go in the shoulder season and stay away from the high season, Capri is perfect; otherwise, you're screwed."
Jen: "Amsterdam. 24-7 energy plus the sheer beauty of the city. Also, Brugges in Belgium is lot in time. Definitely up to the hype"

Biggest "Glad I did it but won't be doing that again" Moment:
Greg: "Running with the Bulls in Pamplona. Chance of a freaking lifetime. Especially since I ran with my dad and cousin, it's an experience that would be impossible to top."
Jen: "Riding the trains...not for pleasure but just for basic transportation. Also, using Italian pit toilets"

If I had to live somewhere in Europe, it would be:
Jen: "Vernazza in Cinque Terre or anywhere in Ireland (see pix to the right) or Amsterdam"
Greg: "Bann. But Southern Italy would be nice too"

Biggest disappointment:
Greg: "Oktoberfest (the second time). Bringing your family to Oktoberfest is a recipe for disaster. Mix in some rain and a lot of obnoxious drunks you can see why this was not a trip for the ages. That being said, I had a good time the first time I went with a colleague from work. We had better weather and since it was on opening day, no one was drunk (yet). Still, it was croweded and I was really lucky to even get inside one of the bierhalls.
Much like Oktoberfest, Naples was a big disappointment with the family. The place seemed very sketchy and dirty. A year later I returned to Naples and ventured past the area around the train station and did have a much better time.
Finally, the Autobahn is overrated. Much of it is speed restricted and is often riddled with traffic. But when it's unrestricted, it's great"
Jen: "Torino. Not picturesque. Full of immigrants. Also, Disneyland Paris (Greg disagrees). Employees were rude/characters left with kids still waiting for them/not well maintained..."

Worth the splurge:
Greg: "The London Eye. We'll probably be paying interest on the amount we shelled out to ride but the view was awesome. Hey, it's London! Everything is expensive."
Jen: "Stockholm. Expensive but worth it. Also, the room in Vernazza that overlooked the main square/church/marina"

Biggest cultural struggle:
Jen: "Nothing open on Sunday and no one takes credit"
Greg: (See previous post)

Best Souvenier:
Greg: "Our German gummi bear, Luke. We also came home with a ton of wine and beer"
Jen: "Luke."

What would you change about the time we spent in Europe:
Jen: "Spent more time in Italy and learned a foreign language so we could have chatted with the locals more"
Greg: "I would have liked to visit Calabria (more than from the deck of a ship), the French Riviera and Denmark."

Best advice to other travels:
Jen: "Get outside of the cities and go to the smaller villages. Get to interact with the locals."
Greg: "Jen's right. The cities are overrated. As for meeting people, act as if you are a temporary local"

What I miss most about living in Europe:
Greg: "British TV, Netto, good jaegerschitzel, ryanair, our village and neighbors, the crew at TPMRC, Christmas markets."
Jen: "Chocolate croissants, slower pace, drinking wine in a public park, fests, pretzels"

Pictures from top to bottom: Swiss Alps, Jen in Dublin, and our backyard in Bann

Culture Shock Moments

Looking back on our time in Europe, we always get a chuckle out of the culture shock moments we endured/suffered/enjoyed. Hey, we're American! We're bound to commit and occasional cultural faux pas. For example, when Jen and I were in England in early 1997, we were aghast at the slow and inattentive service. I mean, what was it going to take for our waiter to pay attention to us! We were fuming. Come to find out that Europeans generally believe it's rude for their waiters and waitresses to "hover" over you. To a couple of nineteen year old Yanks, we thought they were snotty and rude. Joke was on us. Truth be told--customer service expectations are WAY different in Germany and the rest of Europe compared to that in the states. I wonder what they think when they come to the US.

Speaking of Jolly olde England culture shock, open a newspaper and turn to page 3. You'll thank me later. If you're a guy--

I also remember the first time I saw a dog in a restaurant in Germany. Perfectly acceptable! Wasn't prepared for that one. Back in the states, I remember getting kicked out of an El Pollo Loco in Encino one time when I was holding our dog Reagan and ordering food to go. Maybe we can find a middle ground and achieve perfection!

Public urination is the easily the biggest culture shock moment I had in Europe. A couple years ago we headed over to Annweiler near Burg Trifels for New Years Day and I was so shocked by this hung over guy relieving himself in a parking lot. I had to take a picture because no one would believe me otherwise. Back home, taking a leak in the bushes is a thing of last resort. In Germany, not a big deal. After living there for a while you realize they HAVE to do this because there are so few public restrooms. And if you do find them, be prepared to to shell out a euro for the privilege.

The culture shock in Germany was nothing compared to that we experienced in Italy. I won't go into detail but that place is insane--wonderful, but insane. Germany, of all the places, was most like America in my opinion.

Fall 2006 Rewind: Latin Livin!

Trieste

So our first attempt to get to Italy didn't turn out so well. In fact, it didn't happen at all. We were scheduled to fly into Milan, tour around, and then head over to our friends' place in the Veneto. Didn't happen. To say that we "missed our plane" is factually incorrect. Not to get too longwinded but after we were halfway to Hahn airport (about 30 minutes into our drive), we pulled a dumb American and realized we forgot our passports. Now you can't really blame us...we were still in the America state of mind where you don't need a passport to fly around.

What kills me is that we SHOULD have made that flight. Even after hauling ass back to our house and getting our passports, we made it back to Hahn with about a half hour to spare. "Sorry, sir. We cannot let you on." What! "Yes, we closed the gate with 45 minutes of takeoff" But the plane hasn't left! People are just now starting to board! "You will have to buy a ticket on the next flight...at full price." This was one of my first experiences with crappy treatment on Ryanair. Don't get me wrong, it's a great airline so long as you play by their rules. By the time we left there, we had it down to a science. We had it timed down to the minute and used the hotel parking lot saving us time and money. Not this time.

Not to be denied my Italian immersion, I told Jen that we were going to visit our friend for Thanksgiving. My friend Brent from Aviano had floated the invitation and we took full advantage. Not to bore you with the details but it was about as good as any holiday gets. I'll write about the actual holiday some other time but Italy itself was incredible. Northern Italy is magical in the fall. Since it is on the sunny side of the Alps, it provided us a welcomed respite from the gloom in Germany. Sure, there was some snow on the Dolomite Mountains down in Aviano, the weather was perfect.

View of Aviano from Brent and Maria's house

Italy has a funny effect on one's memory. Ten years prior, Jen and I visited Rome and Florence and we definitely made some wonderful memories then. Sure, I have some faint memories the hassle of Italy such as abundant graffiti, disorganization, etc. But lookin back, it's the fond memories of gelato, Rennaisance architecture, and fun loving people really stand out. So once we arrived in Italy, all these memories came rushing back and I was thinking to myself, "What too you so damn long to get back here?"

Much like Italy, Spain had a lasting impact on our family. The pace is very much the same and one couldn't escape the feeling that this place was so "Un-German". In the fall season, this is definitely a good thing. What really struck me about Spain was how much it reminded me of California. I returned to Spain three times (a different region each time) and these trips reinforced this impression. Let's face it, the temperature is nearly identical, everyone speaks Spanish, and it looks so much So Cal.


Calella

Unlike Italy, Spain was simply a place to kick back and enjoy the good life. Italy has so much to see and do while the big attraction in Spain was chillin' on the beach. After seeing a different city each weekend for four months straight, this was a welcomed relief. Travel author Rick Steves reminds his readers to take it slow. "Remember, you WILL be back. No sense in trying to see it all in one take," he says. So true! Finally, we slowed down, ordered some sangria on the beach, and took it all in for the next few days. This is what Spain is all about.

Summer 2006 Rewind Pt 2: Encountering Teutonic Charm

Charming isn't a word that many people would use to describe Germany. In the fall and winter, this is VERY true. However, once the sun shines and the flowers bloom, this place really is breathtaking. Even the people seem to get out of their six month rut during this time of year.

Fortunately for us, we arrived in Europe just in time for this amazing transformation. We wasted no time and logged some serious kilometers on the Autobahn. We were literally going every single weekend. In August alone, our family visited Munich, Salzburg, St. Gilgan, Rhein and Mosel Valleys, Vianden, Heidelberg, Paris, and a few others. Of course Jen's folks were in town who were just as eager to see Europe as us. Here are some of the photographic highlights:

Prost! -Heard many times in Munich's legendary Hofbrauhaus

Triumphant at Paris' Arc d' Triumph

Hamming it up on the way up to Cochem Castle...Amazingly I made it through my 3 years without ever passing out from too much hefeweisen and pils

Ginger-hair Jen in the Mosel Valley: Enjoying the best part of Europe!

Summer 2006 Rewind

So this blog started about one year after we first moved to Germany so I figured I would revisit our early days in Europe.

Cochem walkplatz

I flew directly to Frankfurt from Maxwell AFB, AL where I was attending Sq Officers School. Jen and Julia stayed back in California while I got things together in Germany. In retrospect, this was probably the best thing we could have done. Those of you who've been assigned to USAFE can attest to the fact that the initial few weeks are fun but REALLY stressful.

Not only is there a new language to learn and cultural bugaboos to be aware of, but you have to do all the normal things like wait for your car to be shipped and find a place to live. To make matters worse, I was rediculously sick when I checked into my billeting on Kapaun AB. Thank GOD I didn't have to drag everyone around with me while getting everything together. All the while, all I wanted to do was hit the Autobahn (BTW, huge disappointment) and see Europe.

The girls on the Hamburg waterfront

Once Jen, Julia, and Reagan did arrive, we had a house with all of our furniture there, I'd purchased a piece of crap Opel to get around, and I'd gotten off to a good start at my job at TPMRC. It made life so much easier! I was so excited to begin our three year European vacation!

A few days after landing in Germany, we headed down to Kaiserslautern (aka "K-town, downtown, little America, etc"). Now at the time K town was one of the host cities to the 2006 World Cup and as we soon discovered, these guys loved their soccer! The altstadt (old town) of K-town was bustling with revelers and I thought to myself, "hey, these germans get a bad rap. They seem like fun luvin folks and really cut loose. This assignment is going to be alright." Come to find out that most of these people were from places like Italy and Spain who's national team was playing in Kaiserslautern. After the world cup left, downtown seemed so dead for the next three years.

Downtown during the World Cup (Drinking in public=perfectly acceptable!)

Sadly, America didn't do so well during this event so we quickly started to root for our new "home team", Germany. I do remember going downtown after work with my my buddy Donnie and we watched the Germans play Argentina on a big screen setup in one of the platz's. Germany, who were probably three point underdogs, pulled off the win in a shootout and the crowd erupted with euphoria! Beer was flying, people were shouting, girls were hugging, and the guys where chanting, "Berlin! Berlin! We're going to Berlin!" in German (the finals were held in Berlin).

Julia in K-town on 4 July 06

A few days later Germany advanced to the semifinals where they were slated to play Italy. Friends from Aviano were nice enough to come up and stay with us during this time so for a time we were a house divided. Like us, they were pulling for their newly adopted country and who could blame them! The Italians treat the sport as a religion. Anyhow, the game was close and the tension was really building in our place but Italy was triumphant and would go on to beat France in the finals (Thank God!). Whatever. We were in Europe--doing what Europeans did--and getting paid to do it! What a great start to our three years.

Our friend Maria with JJ in K Town.

More Blasts from the Past

Greg at Edwards AFB airshow in 1982Luke at Randolph AFB airshow in 2009

Hopefully Luke will have better luck becoming a pilot than me. Let's all hope he gets his mother's good vision.

Europe Then and Now

After class one afternoon in our apartment in Lubbock, Jen and I impulsively hatched a plan to take a trip to Europe. It was 1996 and we college students on the rice and ramen budget but I had a few bucks from selling my truck. We decided if not now, when? And so a few months later we boarded an AA jet from LAX to Heathrow Airport. Here are a few pix of our trip then compared to modern day pix:

Then: Jen in Paris 1996...Now: Jen in Paris 2008Then: Piazza del Poppolo 1996

...Now: Piazza del Poppolo 2009

Then: Greg in Piazza del Poppolo, New Years Eve 1996

...Now: Greg (and my kiddos in pix 2) in the same spot in 2009

Bringing a bit of Europe to Texas

Europe withdrawal. I'm not sure if this qualifies as a clinical diagnosis but I'm pretty sure I'm suffering from it. To ease the transition, I put a few European touches in our Texas home. First is the Talavera tile kitchen table. These handpainted tiles originated from a small town in central Spain (although I'm guessing many of ours came from Mexico) and bring much needed color into our kitchen.

Outside is a different story. South Texas is the land of oak trees and grassland. To remind us of our time in Italy, I planted a "pasta garden" of sorts. Our humble farm consists of eggplant, tomatoes, basil, rosemary, lettuce, and some other stuff for good measure. Before long all of this stuff will be on our table for an Italian dinner.

Finally, here are our kiddies at the Frederickburg Oktoberfest!

And the Final Tally Is...

16. This is the total number of countries we visited as a family during our 3 year European Tour. These countries include Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, Vatican City, Sweden, Ireland, UK, Greece, Croatia, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg.

+5 for Greg. These include: Hungary, Portugal, Dubai, Turkey, Djibouti (Saudi and Ethiopia don't count since I never left the airport)

The total number really should have been at least 20 now that I think about it. We were about 3 kilometers away from Slovenia when we visited Trieste, Italy. Also, we came within throwing distance of Poland when visiting Berlin. Same is true for Lichtenstein and Denmark. The good news is that we will most definitely be back.

Oktoberfest aus Kalifornia

What a party! We wanted to bring a bit of Oktoberfest to our friends back in Kalifornia. The result? Wunderbar. Thanks to all who came! Check out a few pix:\

Julia's Memories of Europe

As crazy as it sounds, the memories of Europe are fading fast in the minds of our kids. In an attempt to capture what we can, here is a brief list of favorites from our daugther, Julia:

Best Friend: Dylan Naglic who lived in Vogelweh
Favorite City: Brugges, Belgium
Favorite Museum: Imperial War Museum, London (Dad is beaming!!!)
Favorite Place to Visit: "Dinosaur Park" aka Gartenshau in Kaiserslautern
Favority Thing to Eat: Macaroni and Cheese at our house in Bann
Funnest Thing she did: Play at the Playground at Donnelly Park at Ramstein
Coolest Purchase: Anything from H and M in Downtown K-town
First Thing I Remember in Germany: Eating at Aurora restaurant in Sorrento, Italy
The Wettest I've Ever Been: Was actually in Florida..."It was a torrential downpour"
I Remember These People from our Village: Norbert and Luzia (our neighbors)
Favorite Shop in our Village: Netto!
Favorite Treat from Netto: Donuts & Cheese Pretzels from the Bakerei, Kinder eggs from store
Favorite Outfit in Germany: Long sleeve dresses and tights
Favorite Memory in Garmisch: Going for a swim in the pool and the jaccuzzi
Animals I Remember in our village of Bann: Dogs and Goats
What Luke Looked Like When He Was Born: A little old grandpa (she's right!)
Best Part About Volksmarching: Getting a "prize" at the end esp in Rothenberg ob der Tauber