2008 Trip to Bavaria

Four of us from Enzian Schuhplattler took a trip to Bavaria in October to attend the Bayerische Lwe. The Bayerische Lwe (literally, the "Bavarian Lion") is a Schuhplattler contest that started in the year 2002. That first contest was hosted in Oberschleissheim, near Munich. Each year since then, the event has been hosted by a different Gau (organization of Schuhplattler clubs). This year's contest was held in the town of Planegg, south of Munich, and was hosted by the Lechgau (the Gau that we have the closest ties with). The four of us arrived at different times. Before and after the contest, we had other adventures; I will include some of the ones my husband Roger and I had in this article. Chris went a couple of weeks before the rest of us, and he had his own adventures, including attending the Munich Oktoberfest, but you will have to ask him for his impressions of that. We arrived in Dsseldorf on October 13. We stayed with Sigrid Wollenweber, my penpal for the last 36 years. She and I started writing to each other in 1972, when I was in junior high school. I had several other penpals during that time, but those relationships were short-lived. Sigrid and I never stopped writing each other, and we have become good friends. I visited her first when I was in college, then again twelve years later, in 1990. Since Roger and I first visited her in 1999, we have been there together six times. Between in-person visits, we write letters (now mostly emails). Sigrid has been to the United States a couple of times in the last six years, but has never come to Washington although she hopes to make a trip here someday. She has accompanied her sons to Wisconsin for a Boy Scout exchange program a couple of times. Her twin boys, Thomas and Fabian, are a couple of years younger than my son Jason, and the boys met each other in 2000, when we took Jason with us to Germany. With Sigrid, we did a lot of visiting, but we also took the train into the "old town" area of Dsseldorf one night. (Sigrid lives in a district called Lrick; the train trip into the old town takes about 15 minutes.) We met up with a friend of hers, Karl Heinz, for dinner and drinks. He has made several extended trips to the U.S., so speaks some English. As my German has improved over the years, Sigrid and I tend to speak more German together, although she also speaks fairly good English. Roger speaks some German, but a lot of his communication still ends up in English, so it was great for him to be around people who spoke at least some English. The old town has a lot of bars and restaurants, as well as historic buildings, and it was alive well into the night with folks standing at tables outside, drinking beer, and talking and laughing. We went out on a Monday night, and were out until at least 11 p.m., and despite some rain, there were a lot of people still outside when we returned home.

Karl Heinz and Sigrid

Wollenweber

Rathaus Dsseldorf

On Tuesday, we drove to the small town of Stolberg, about an hour west of Dsseldorf, to visit the castle there. There are many fortresses, castles, and palaces in Bavaria, and there is something fascinating about prowling the castle grounds and imagining life in the Middle Ages. This particular fortress was small, as was the village that surrounded it, and most of the buildings were closed. We did get a peek into the adjoining cathedral, which was beautiful even in the dim light. We had a good time walking around the fortress, and through the cobblestoned streets of the little town.

Stolberg Cathedral On Wednesday, October 15, Roger and I left Dsseldorf and drove to Hofstetten, the village where we spend most of our time in Bavaria. We were introduced to Mr. and Mrs. Salger, who will be hosting us during our stay. Their house is very large; they live on the ground floor, one son and his family lives on the top floor, and the rooms on the middle floor often house visiting family members and friends. We were given a large room with a private bath. The Salgers are a retired couple; if I remember right, they have six adult children, all of whom live in the general vicinity. We ate a typical German breakfast in the Salgers' kitchen each morning: a variety of fresh breads, with butter, jam, cheese, and sliced meats available to add to the bread. Along with coffee (tea for me), that was the standard breakfast everywhere we stayed this trip, although one morning, cake was also served.

Wednesday night, we met up with Carolyn and Chris at the Hipp (the local hotel, restaurant, and meeting place) for dinner. With them were Mark LaCourse, our Gau Vorplattler, and his 17-year-old son Matt. They live in Minneapolis. After dinner, we all drove to the nearby village of Stoffen to attend their dance practice. Our carload almost didn't make it, though, as on the way there, we narrowly missed having a head-on collision. The curving two-lane country roads on which we were driving are not graced with street lights, and it was raining. A car coming the opposite direction was passing-in the dark, on a curve, in the rain-and as we came around a bend in the road, we saw them on our side of the road, coming head-on at a great rate of speed. Roger stopped dead in the road, and the oncoming car missed us by a foot or two, but the closeness of the disaster made our hearts race.

Toni Auer and Mark LaCourse Dance practice in Stoffen The Schuhplattler group that dances in Stoffen is named D'Fuchsbergler. They have a very relaxed practice, with plenty of sitting around and talking, interspersed periodically with a few dances. Our friend Toni Auer was also preparing for the Bayrische Lwe; he doesn't have a regular dance partner, so he practiced with me. His wife, Iris, plays the buttonbox accordion, and doesn't dance Schuhplattler. We stayed after practice, enjoying Toni's hospitality and speaking (mostly German) while Chris, Iris, and another musician, Florian, filled the room with Bavarian melodies. Thursday, we drove south to the town of Peiting so Chris could pick up some shirts he'd ordered (with his initials monogrammed on them) from Trachten Stoeger, then we drove north to Trachten Pllmann in Obermenzing for more shopping, and from there, we took the train into downtown Munich. We spent a few hours checking out our usual hauntsjewelry and souvenir stores near the Hofbruhaus, Trachten shops near Marienplatz, and the used clothing shops close to McDonald's. Then we headed home. Unfortunately for Roger and Chris and me, we lost the other carload of folks, missed a turn to get back on the correct freeway, couldn't find any place to turn around, and spent an extra hour circling Munich before getting back to the dance practice at Hofstetten. Once we got there, however, we were heartily welcomed, then we got pointers for the next hour and a half about how to improve our dancing for the competition. After close scrutiny from our friend, Sepp Probst-whose son and daughter generally take first place in their age categories-I found out that my skirt was not made correctly, so doesn't "bell" properly. Sepp spent at least half an hour scrutinizing my skirt. He had me spin, then he got down and peered under my skirt while I spun (checking out my petticoat), then he had me take my petticoat off and spin, then he had me change skirts with one of his women and spin, then he had a couple of the women analyze my skirt. Unfortunately-or fortunately, I

guess-it was my skirt (more than my spinning) that was the problem. Nothing I could do about it before the competition on Saturday, but at least, I know what the problem was. As usual, we stayed up way too late after the practice, drinking and talking with our friends from Hofstetten.

Americans and Germans in Hofstetten On Friday, the four of us drove to Andechs, a monastery that brews beer and sells it, along with hearty food, in its huge beer garden and restaurant. The weather was clear, but cool, and we had a great time eating, drinking, and enjoying being in the countryside. When beer is the drink of choice, I am always the designated driver, since I don't care for the taste of beer and won't drink it. In Bavaria, beer is prevalent (and red wine, not as available), so I happily let the others imbibe and I stick to water (when I can get it; Germans don't seem to drink regular water, only mineral water, which doesn't appeal to me.) It's good to have a designated driver in Bavaria, since "ein Ma," the standard size, is a liter of beer. We had a great afternoon, then met at the Hipp. After dinner, the locals joined us at the Hipp for an evening of talking, music, and singing. We stayed for a short time, but returned to our room early, to get lots of rest for the next day. Saturday, October 18, was the Schuhplattler competition in Planegg at Heide Volm (a restaurant/convention center). Those of us departing from Hofstetten formed a convoy to drive to Planegg. We left from the Hipp at 7 a.m. in very cold (-2 Centigrade), but clear weather. It was a lovely morning-almost enough to convince me, a dyed-in-the-wool night person, that perhaps I should see the sunrise a little more often. Arriving at Heide Volm, we participants drew numbers from a basket (one basket per age group, separated by gender) to determine the order in which we would compete. The competitions took place over the course of the day. The children were on one stage, the female adults on another, and the male adults on the main stage. The youngest people competed first, and with 283 participants in Einzelplattling, at least 240 participants (30 groups) in Gruppe Preisplattling, and over 600 people in attendance, the day was a long one. However, it was great fun. There were a lot of Americans there-17 participated in Einzelplattling, and two groups (at least 16 people) in Gruppe Preislplattling-plus many supporting family members and friends. We spent the day visiting, eating, drinking, and watching our friends dance. By the time I competed, it was around 3 p.m., and Roger's judging was later, at least 3:30 or 4 p.m. (Each person is judged separately, even though you dance as a couple.) After the individual competitions, the groups competed, and then there were speeches, announcements, and awards, so the event wasn't over until about 7 p.m. Roger and I each took 5th place in our age groups. (Roger was 5th out of 8; I was 5th out of 7.) Roger had hurt his knee a couple of weeks before the competition, so simplified his routine and probably favored his knee during the competition. Otherwise, he probably would have done better. I did get a number of points taken off for my skirt not belling

properly, so I am sure that affected my final score. However, it was still an honor just to be able to compete (you have to be in the top three couples in your age group within your Gau to be allowed to compete in the Bayrische Lwe, in the first place), and being 5th in the world is not such a bad place to be. Each participant received a pin with their placing on it, and the groups that placed in the top two each received a trophy (a statuette of a lion). The Americans overall did well. We returned to Hofstetten and the Hipp for more frivolity, but went to bed relatively early after the excitement of the day.

Kathy and Roger at the Bayrische Lwe Roger, Kathy, Carolyn, and Chris at the Bayrische Lwe On Sunday, Roger, Carolyn, Chris, and I went to Mnchen (Munich) to shop at the Auer Dult. The Auer Dult is a combination flea market, antique market, craft fair, and carnival that is held in Munich three times a year. It is the oldest market in Munich, having been held on the same spot, the Mariahilfplatz, since 1310 A.D. The Auer Dult is the catch phrase for three distinct markets. The Jakobidult is the oldest; it started in 1310 and is held each year in July. The other two markets are the Maidult, held at the end of April, and the Kirchweidult, held in October. Each festival lasts for nine days. We had a great time shopping at the many booths. I ended up buying a beautiful antique necklace, plus a few Trachten buttons. Unfortunately, we all got separated in the huge crowds, and since we had neglected to set a meeting time and place, we spent a lot of time searching for each other. Eventually, we did reconnect, though, and made our way home to Hofstetten in time to change into Trachtenmode (traditional German-style clothing) and head over to the town of Diessen for their Kirchweih. A Kirchweih is defined as a parish fair, but as we have found with most celebrations in Bavaria, it mostly consists of a lot of eating, drinking, and talking, plus music and dancing. We met up with Toni and Iris from Stoffen, as well as our friends from Diessen and other Americans, and had many hours of great fun in a tent outside the clubhouse of our Trachtenkameraden from Diessen. It was a wonderful evening, albeit cold, and a great ending to our time with our Schuhplattler friends.

Kathy and Roger at the Diessen

Kirchweih Kirchweih

Roger, Chris, & Toni Auer at the Diessen

The next day, Carolyn and Chris flew back to Seattle, but Roger and I drove north to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. This is a lovely walled city that has survived since the Middle Ages. I highly recommend it, not only because it is picturesque, but also because it has the best prices for shopping in all of Bavaria. In past visits, we purchased our cuckoo clock there (at a price about $200 less than we would have paid in the Black Forest), as well as many smaller souvenirs that were more expensive elsewhere. On this trip, we stayed with German friends from Enzian Schuhplattler who had recently moved back to Rothenburg to live. They have an apartment in the old town, so it was great to be able to stay with them, then walk out the door in the morning and go sightseeing. One day, we walked most of the way around the city in the enclosed wall that still protects the old town. It was great to visit with Tanja and her children, Joshua, Sidney, and Eric, and to visit a picturesque and historic town like Rothenburg.

Rothenburg o.d. Tauber wall

Rothenburg

On Wednesday, we drove back to Dsseldorf and stayed overnight with Sigrid. We departed from Dsseldorf on October 23 at 10:10 a.m. on and arrived back in Seattle at 2:15 p.m. that day.

Web connection provided by Seattle Community Network as listed in the SCN Arts Menu Copyright 2008-2012 Enzian Schuhplattler Address comments and questions to: Webmeisterin > SlowTrav > Rest of the World > Travel Notes > Germany

The Bavarian Forest

Margaret Leach The Bavarian Forest, with its neighbor, the Bohemian Forest, makes up the largest range of forested mountains in Central Europe, located in the Southeast of Germany/Southwest of the Czech Republic. The region also contains the largest area of protected landscape in Europe. It spite of its beauty - and exceptionally good value for money - the area is almost completely unknown outside Germany and provides the opportunity to holiday in an area unspoiled by mass tourism as well as providing probably the widest range of activities of any location in Europe.

The Park lies on the Czech Border The Bavarian Forest National Park lies directly along the border with the Czech Republic and is the oldest and largest National Park in Germany. The area has more than 100 mountains exceeding 1,000 metres. Many long-distance footpaths pass through the area, varying from the long distance footpath stretching from the Baltic to the Adriatic, to old Bavarian-Bohemian trading routes. There are also masses of shorter paths for exploring ancient forests and glacial lakes. Mountain biking is also popular and well provided for all walking and cycling routes are clearly and frequently signposted with direction and

distance. Canoing, archery, tennis, golf and mini-golf are just a few of the other activities available. Children of all ages love the summer toboggan runs. The area is also one of the most reliable for snow in the region, with cold Bohemian winds to preserve the snow rather than the warming Foehn in the Alps. The Arber Mountain regularly hosts Women's World Cup Slalom races. As well as a range of ski runs on the Arber and in the Czech Mountains, there are hundreds of kilometres of cross-country ski trails, snowboarding, tobogganing and snow-shoe walking. Cultural activities abound in the area. Every weekend in summer there are beer and medieval enactment festivals in towns and villages in the area. There is a rich history of glass making and forestry, small scale mining, beer and schnaps making, cross border trading and smuggling and, as befits an area which for centuries was the border between the Kingdom of Bavaria and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, military conflicts. Places to visit vary from Roman remains to ruined (and complete) castles to relics of the Nazi era and 2nd World War, in both Bavaria and the Czech Republic, as well as many museums. Major cities and other attractions in the area include UNESCO World Heritage sites Regensburg and Cesky Krumlow, Passau and the Danube (great for boat trips). Prague, Salzburg and Munich can all be visited in a day. The pretty mountain village of Bayerisch Eisenstein lies directly on the BavarianBohemian border, almost exactly in the center of the European continent. The village is the resort for the Arber Mountain and also has the only railway station in Europe with a national border running through the middle. Guests can stroll across the border into the Czech Republic - and since January 1, 2008, will not even have to show their passports. The village also has a local railway museum, tennis courts, mini golf, sports ground and a large children's adventure playground. There is a supermarket and several other shops in the village and a number of restaurants and cafes. Train and bus links are excellent and many guests avoid using a car completely during their stay. Tap water comes from springs in the forests on the Arber and the air is clear and fresh.

Village of Bayerisch Eisenstein from the top of the Arber mountain

The weather is normally warmer in summer and colder in winter than in the UK. In common with other mountain areas in Central Europe, there is rainfall in summer and snow in winter, but often at night rather than during the day. Germany is also an ideal destination for families with children, as restaurants and tourist attractions almost all make provision for children of all ages. Entrance fees for swimming pools, adventure parks, etc. are low by UK standards.

View into the Czech Republic from the Bohemian Forest > SlowTrav > Rest of the World > Travel Notes > Germany The Bavarian Forest Margaret Leach The Bavarian Forest, with its neighbor, the Bohemian Forest, makes up the largest range of forested mountains in Central Europe, located in the Southeast of Germany/Southwest of the Czech Republic. The region also contains the largest area of protected landscape in Europe. It spite of its beauty - and exceptionally good value for money - the area is almost completely unknown outside Germany and provides the opportunity to holiday in an area unspoiled by mass tourism as well as providing probably the widest range of activities of any location in Europe. The Czech Border The Park lies on the Czech Border The Bavarian Forest National Park lies directly along the border with the Czech Republic and is the oldest and largest National Park in Germany. The area has more than 100 mountains exceeding 1,000 metres. Many long-distance footpaths pass through the area, varying from the long distance footpath stretching from the Baltic to the Adriatic, to old

Bavarian-Bohemian trading routes. There are also masses of shorter paths for exploring ancient forests and glacial lakes. Mountain biking is also popular and well provided for all walking and cycling routes are clearly and frequently signposted with direction and distance. Canoing, archery, tennis, golf and mini-golf are just a few of the other activities available. Children of all ages love the summer toboggan runs. The area is also one of the most reliable for snow in the region, with cold Bohemian winds to preserve the snow rather than the warming Foehn in the Alps. The Arber Mountain regularly hosts Women's World Cup Slalom races. As well as a range of ski runs on the Arber and in the Czech Mountains, there are hundreds of kilometres of cross-country ski trails, snowboarding, tobogganing and snow-shoe walking. Cultural activities abound in the area. Every weekend in summer there are beer and medieval enactment festivals in towns and villages in the area. There is a rich history of glass making and forestry, small scale mining, beer and schnaps making, cross border trading and smuggling and, as befits an area which for centuries was the border between the Kingdom of Bavaria and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, military conflicts. Places to visit vary from Roman remains to ruined (and complete) castles to relics of the Nazi era and 2nd World War, in both Bavaria and the Czech Republic, as well as many museums. Major cities and other attractions in the area include UNESCO World Heritage sites Regensburg and Cesky Krumlow, Passau and the Danube (great for boat trips). Prague, Salzburg and Munich can all be visited in a day. The pretty mountain village of Bayerisch Eisenstein lies directly on the BavarianBohemian border, almost exactly in the center of the European continent. The village is the resort for the Arber Mountain and also has the only railway station in Europe with a national border running through the middle. Guests can stroll across the border into the Czech Republic - and since January 1, 2008, will not even have to show their passports. The village also has a local railway museum, tennis courts, mini golf, sports ground and a large children's adventure playground. There is a supermarket and several other shops in the village and a number of restaurants and cafes. Train and bus links are excellent and many guests avoid using a car completely during their stay. Tap water comes from springs in the forests on the Arber and the air is clear and fresh. Bayerisch Eisenstein view Village of Bayerisch Eisenstein from the top of the Arber mountain The weather is normally warmer in summer and colder in winter than in the UK. In common with other mountain areas in Central Europe, there is rainfall in summer and snow in winter, but often at night rather than during the day. Germany is also an ideal destination for families with children, as restaurants and tourist attractions almost all make provision for children of all ages. Entrance fees for swimming pools, adventure parks, etc. are low by UK standards.

View into Czech Republic View into the Czech Republic from the Bohemian Forest

Travels
This page contains links to stories about Enzian travels to Gaufeste, both in North America and Germany.

22. Gaufest, Toledo, Ohio, August 2009

Thirteen of us attended the Gaufest (a three-day German dance festival held every two years at varying locations in the U.S.): Carolyn Marquardt, Roger Mowery, Kathy Bruni, Kurt & Jenny Graupensperger, Trina Murphy, Roland Krebs, Rick Senzig, Cheri Bull, John Lofgren, Toni & Iris Auer, and Chris Barnes. Roger's family lives in the Midwest, and eight of them attended the Gaufest, too, including Roger's little granddaughter, Audrey, who celebrated her first birthday on August 2. Roger had invited them to attend so they could see first-hand what it is we spend so much of our time doing; none of them are involved in Schuhplattler, or anything similar. We bought a dirndl for Audrey to wear, so she fit right in. We had all arrived by Thursday evening, and had fun at the welcome dance, reconnecting with our friends from other clubs. Friday was the day of the adult Einzelplattling competition (where one couple dances at a time), and there were two judging rooms set up-one for the 16-34 age group, in which 46 couples competed, and one for the other age groups. The competition took place Friday morning, but the results weren't announced until Saturday night. Two of our couples competed in the 35-49 age group, which was comprised of 22 couples: Kurt & Jenny placed 8th, and Trina and Rick placed 18th. Two of our couples competed in the 50-59 age group, in which seven couples competed: Toni and Kathy placed 3rd, and John and Cheri placed 7th. There were five couples in the 60+ age group, and Roger and Carolyn took first place! Couples that place in the top three in their age group qualify to compete in Germany the following year, so Roger, Carolyn, Kathy, and Toni will be able to compete in the 2010 competition (the Bayrische Lwe), which will be held on July 17 in Bavaria.

After the competition, there were workshops of various kinds, including one on how to take measurements for ordering Tracht, one on Goassl (whipping) techniques, one on folk music, and one on Muller masks. In addition to the workshops, there were meetings for the Vorplattler (dance leader), Vorstand (president), and Fahnentrger (flag bearer). During the Heimatabend Friday evening, there were performances of traditional Bavarian music by a variety of groups, followed by Ehrentnze. Our group performed the Lechgauschlag, and it went well. At the same time, in another building, a band played more modern music for dancing, interspersed with Ehrentnze, so it wasn't possible to see all the groups perform, or to be in both places at once. Saturday started with the Gruppepreisplatteln. Sixteen groups competed. As each group danced and was judged, we spectators made our own observations and tried to decide who we thought the winning group would be. We got fired up about the possibility of Enzian participating in this contest at the next Gaufest (2011, in Orlando, Florida), so we paid special attention to this contest. In the afternoon, after the conclusion of the dance contest, many of the attendees went to the Bauernmessea Catholic mass, in Bavarian dialectthat is a traditional part of a Gaufest. Later that evening, we all were shuttled out to festival grounds owned, in part, by the host group, for the evening banquet, parade of flags, awards ceremony (for Einzelplatteln), and dance. The evening was capped by an impressive fireworks display an unusual ending for a Gaufest banquet evening. Sunday's events included a picnic on the same festival grounds, with the Gruppepreisplatteln awards, a second parade of flags, speeches, more Ehrentnze, and open dancing. Sunday night, there was a theme party back at one of the hotels, with a MASH 4077th theme. An excellent band from Germany was playing, and we all had a lot of fun dancing, admiring the variety of costumes, and partying. It was a hilarious ending to a great Gaufest.

Bavaria Reise 2008

Check out the entire story on our trip to Bavaria and the Bayrische Lwe.

Gaufest 2007 in Hershey, PA

The 21. Gaufest (June 21-24, 2007) in Hershey, Pennsylvania, is now history, but for the six of us that went, it created a lot of fond memories. Our Ehrentanz, the Dreisteirer, went well and brought us much aclaim on Thursday night. Roland, Kathy, and Trina formed one set; Roger, Carolyn, and Emily (a friend from the Tirolean Dancers of Oregon) formed a second set. On Friday morning, Roger Mowery and Kathy Bruni competed in Einzelplattling. We found out Saturday night, when the awards were given out, that they placed third in their age groupwhich means that they will be allowed to compete in the Einzelplattling in Bavaria in 2008. The weekend was full of fun and camaraderie, as friends from all over North America and Germany reunited for these four days of workshops, dancing, shopping, visiting, meetings, and general merriment. Kathy was asked to dance with our visitors from Germany in their Ehrentanz Saturday nighta great honorand stacked up well against the other dancers on stage. The Sunday night

farewell party always has a fun theme; this year, it was a "70's" party. There were lots of funny and fabulous costumes, and it was a great way to end the weekend.

Roger and Kathy hold their Einzelplattling pins; photo with Sepp Pichler

Bavaria, 2006
Eleven members of our dance group, and a friend from San Francisco, went to Germany in July and enjoyed a variety of activities in various German cities. Of the group that went, only three of us were repeat visitors to the town of Hofstetten, and two of our travelers had never been to Germany. A large part of the allure of this trip for our members is the direct connection with local Schuhplattler dancers. As we typically do, we attended the dance practice of D'Windachtaler, a Schuhplattler group in the town of Hofstetten (an hour's drive south of Munich), and enjoyed the opportunity to mingle with them and experience small-town Bavarian culture first-hand. On this trip, we attended their practice two different times the first time we have done so. We also attended the dance practice of another Schuhplattler group, D'Wrmtaler, in a town north of Munich called Obermenzing. We enjoyed a Brotzeit (a meal consisting of bread, cheese, and cold cuts) while dancing with them in their historic clubhouse, the Carlhusl. We were also fortunate to be invited to the practice of the Goasslgruppe (whip crackers) of D'Fuchsbergler in Stoffen, where we had the opportunity to improve our whip tying and cracking capabilities and learn from the experts. We enjoyed a wonderful meal and an evening of camaraderie with their group, eating, drinking, dancing, cracking whips, and playing music under the stars in the warm summer night. In addition to practices, we attended two Gaufeste (festivals of Schuhplattler dancers). The Lechgaufest was held in the town of Rott. The Lechgau is a small German Gau (federation of clubs), with nineteen Vereine (member clubs). We performed an Ehrentanz (honor dance) both Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, and reveled in meeting up with

friends there and watching the other groups do their Ehrentnze. Of course, as with nearly all Bavarian events, there was also plenty of beer and food available. The following weekend, we attended the Huosigaufest in Diessen, attended by the 28 member clubs, as well as number of visitors, including Americans from Seattle, New York, Denver, and Minneapolis, among others. In addition to the Fest itself, there was a Trachtenmarkt (an open-air market of vendors selling items related to costumes and tradition) and the Bayerische Lwe, the annual Schuhplattler competition between all the clubs in Bavaria. The Bayrische Lwe is generally held in October, but was held in July this year. This was only the second year that Americans have been allowed to compete in the Bayrische Lwe, and it may be the only time that the date of the competition was changed to occur in the summer, so it was an historic event for those of us visiting. The Americans that competed placed well, and it was interesting to see how the Bayrische Lwe is conducted in comparison to the competitions that our Gau holds. In addition to the dance-related events, we had a full schedule of sightseeing and fun, including a visit to a Bavarian farmhouse open-air museum, a trip into the mountains via the Nebelhornbahn to enjoy the views, demonstrations of traditional skills like knifemaking and Federkielstickerei (the art of embroidery on leather using quills from peacock feathers), a visit to an Alm (the summertime mountain pasture for cattle and the caretakers' dwelling), and numerous shorter trips. A recounting of everything we did would continue for many pages, but suffice it to say that it was a trip to remember. Some of us are already thinking about our next trip to Germany in 2008, when the Lechgau will celebrate its 100th anniversary.

20. Gaufest, Buffalo, New York, 2005

Gaufest 2005 has come and gone, and we are at home again after an exciting four days in Buffalo, New York. With the most exciting views of Niagara Falls just across the border in Canada, most of the group spent some time enjoying that awe-inspiring natural phenomenon, as well as attending the Gaufest events. One of the families that attended the Gaufest visited an astonishing 14 states prior to the Gaufest. Another family drove to Buffalo, experiencing many of the United States on their way to the Gaufest. The Gaufest itself was a new experience for many of the attendees from our group. There are 80 Schuhplattler Vereine (clubs) that are members of the Gauverband Nordamerika. I believe that they said there were representatives from 76 clubs present. About 1800 people attended this Gaufest, including a number from Germany (at least 10, and probably more). We were honored to have the Deutsche Gauvorstand (president of the governing body of all German Schuhplattler clubs) and his wife present, as well as several other officers from various German Gauverbnde. Cooperation and mutual visits between the American Schuhplattler clubs and the German clubs has steadily increased since I have been involved in German dancing, and it is heartening to see the friendships between our two countries expand. In addition to the events at a Gaufest, there is always shopping. For those of us on the West Coast, it provides a rare opportunity to try on items before buying them, and to

select from a broader array of merchandise than what may be listed in a catalog or on a Web site. Our members took full advantage of all the shopping opportunities! The pre-Gaufest dance on Thursday night provided an opportunity for lots of dancing and socializing, and the first Ehrentnze (honor dances) took place that night. A number of our members left early, or weren't in attendance, since the trip from Seattle to Buffalo was a long one, with several flights delayed or cancelled due to weather in the Cincinnati area (through which most of the flights were scheduled). Friday was when the adult Einzelpreisplattln (individual couple dance competition) took place. Sixty-five couples were entered. Roger and I were number 29, and it seemed like forever until our turn came to dance. John Lofgren and Carolyn Marquardt also competed, and they were number 63, so they had to wait several hours. Competition was fierce, and neither of our couples placed in the top three, but each participating couple got a commemorative pin and a certificate. The top three couples will compete in Germany next year at the Einzelplattln competition for all the German Gaue. After the Einzelplattln, the afternoon was free for regular members; there were meetings and a VIP reception for club officers. The evening included a Heimatabend, with performances by various musical groups, and a social dance, interspersed with more Ehrentnze. Saturday featured the Gruppepreisplattln (group competition), as well as a workshop on the history of Schuhplattln and, for the women, one on how to style one's hair in a historically and culturally appropriate way for the time period in which Schuhplattln originated. Since no woman had short hair in those days, it is a challenge for the women of today, with their much shorter hairstyles, to emulate the correct styles, so Don LaCourse, a professional hairstylist and Schuhplattler, provided examples of how women with all lengths of hair could style it correctly. A Catholic mass, in German, preceded the formal banquet Saturday evening. The evening entertainment included a parade of flags; singing of the anthems from Germany, Austria, Bavaria, Canada, and the United States; speeches by various dignitaries; and continuing Ehrentnze. We performed our dance, Alztaler, Saturday evening, with nine couples, including five children, and it went very well. It was great to have so many couples performing our Ehrentanz! The weekend culminated with a "picnic" Sunday (which was held indoors, so it doesn't really qualify). The featured event was the Jugendeinzelplattln (youth single-couple competition). For the first time, kids from Enzian Schuhplattler participated. Our three couples were couples number 7, 44, and 59, so we had lots of time to wait before our final couple performed. They all did a great job, though, and brought tears to my eyes. After the Jugendeinzelplattln, the winners of the various competitions were announced, and prizes were awarded. The event ended with a very informal party Sunday night. The kids were happy to have their own party room with events appropriate for children, while we adults danced and talked and ended the Gaufest on a high note. It sounded like everyone was already

planning to come to the next Gaufest, the summer of 2007 in Hershey, PA, so it must have been a pleasant experience for one and all!

Enzian Schuhplattler Visits Bavaria, the Zillertal, and the Sdtirol in 2004
In July of 2004, eight members of Enzian Schuhplattler, and one member of the Tirolean Dancers of Oregon, made what has become a biannual trek to Bavaria,to participate in Bavarian Gaufeste, make new friends, and enjoy the Bavarian culture. We attended the Lechgaufest in Stoffen and the Huosigaufest in Peissenberg. In between the two weekend events, we went sightseeing in Austria, primarily in the Zillertal, and visited a Schuhplattler group in the Sdtirol (northern Italy). We have two different accounts of the trip: Carolyn Marquardt's article and Kathy Bruni's. Check them out!

Philadelphia Gaufest, May 2003

Twelve of our members went to the 19. Gaufest in Philadelphia May 22-25, 2003, and had a great time. Our group performed two Ehrentnze (one Thursday night, and one Friday night). Two couples participated in Einzelplattling. We enjoyed the dance workshops for both adults and children and participated in all the Gaufest had to offer: Gemtlichkeit, shopping, dancing, and partying. Check out a few of our photos from the event!

Report on our 2002 Trip to Bavaria

Eight of our group, and a friend from the Tyrolean Dancers of Portland, went to Germany in July 2002 to attend two Gaufeste. The first one was in Seestall, Bavaria, in the Lechgau. We stayed with families in the nearby town of Hofstetten and attended their dance practice. Our host families and the Schuhplattler club, D'Windachtaler, were all incredibly hospitable. We all had a wonderful time! The second Gaufest we attended was in Altoetting, Bavaria, in the 1. Gau. We walked at the front of the Gaufest paradea parade of 8500 Trachtlers! In addition to the two Gaufeste, had a great time shopping, sight-seeing, and being together. Check out the complete article and pictures here.

New York Gaufest, July 2001

In July of 2001, eight of our members attended the Gaufest of the Gauverband Nordamerika. This bi-annual festival of Schuhplattler dancers was held at the Nevele Resort in the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York. We had four days of fun there: workshops, dance competitions, dances, meetings, and general festivities, not to mention shopping!

Two of our couples competed in the Einzelplatteln exhibition, where a couple dances by themselves (rather than with a group). There were 34 couples that participated in the Einzelplatteln, and our two couples danced very well. Because this was the first year for this kind of event, it was not judged as a competition, but there were four judges present who were to provide feedback to the dancers. Our group performed Enzianer as our Ehrentanz (honor dance). Each club that wants to can perform an Ehrentanz at the event. More than 70 clubs attend the Gaufest, and most of them do an Ehrentanz, so there are many performances throughout the four days. Despite our Ehrentanz having been scheduled for eleven o'clock on Friday night, we had a large and enthusiastic audience, which was very encouraging. We had a wonderful time and made some new friends, including Paul St. Jean and his wife Heln from Ottawa. Paul was the musician who played for our Ehrentanz and our two Einzelplatteln couples, since our own musician was unable to attend. Awards are given out at the picnic on Sunday afternoon, and we won the Weit Preis! This trophy is awarded to the club that travels the farthest to a Gaufest (distances determined by the American Automobile Association) and participates with at least four couples either by performing an Ehrentanz or Preisplattling. We will have the trophy until the next Gaufest, when it will be delivered to the next winner. In addition to the trophy, they presented us a plaque that the club can keep as a reminder of having won. Now, we just need to find a place to display the trophy and plaque!

Deutsche Gaufeste, Summer 2000

Three of the Enzian Schuhplattler's officers (Carolyn, Kathy, and Roger) attended Gaufeste in Fssen and Dachau, Bavaria (Germany) in the summer of 2000, along with a contingent from other Schuhplattler clubs in the United States! Read Kathy's report and see pictures.