[drivingpairs] Re: Heidi



Hi Sharon,

The reason they serve Schnapps is because the ladies who ride in the back of 
the wagons carry with them a little "kit" of schnapps and homemade cookies 
to give out to friends & relatives at the top of the hill in the churchyard. 
The wagons all make their way through town to the churchyard, and then they 
park en masse on the lawn around the church (imagine 80 wagons & 320 
horses).  The spectators then visit their friends and relatives in the 
wagons and are offered the schnapps (to warm them) and the cookies (to feed 
them) after the priest blesses the participants and their horses (St. 
Leonhard is the patron saint of horses & livestock).

There are many of these processions throughout Bavaria, Austria and even 
Northern Italy, so if one plans carefully, one can experience more than one 
in a single trip.  They are all slightly different, and the Tölzer (Bad 
Tölz) Leonhardifahrt is the most formal.  There, no women are allowed to 
ride or work in any way with the horses, they must ride in the wagons.  In 
others, the women are at least allowed to ride.  It must rattle their cages 
that I drive my own teams in our parades, lol.

They do serve Glühwein in town at the various Gasthäuser, so we usually get 
some, in addition to the Schnapps.  I am certainly not a heavy drinker, but 
if you could see the mist in the photos, you can probably guess that it is 
cold and damp, and after standing for hours out there, the Schnapps burns 
off in seconds...

Thanks for writing and sharing your experiences.  Anytime you want a good 
Glühwein, you can come and visit our restaurant , the Andreas Keller, in our 
little German town of Leavenworth.  It´s very traditional!

Heidi Forchemer
Leavenworth WA
www.andreaskellerrestaurant.com
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Phil and Sharon Myers" <trinmar@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <drivingpairs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, October 20, 2006 8:17 AM
Subject: [drivingpairs] Heidi


>
>
>
> Heidi,
> Thank you for the photos!  Do they serve Gluhwein at the churchyard??
> Shnapps and I don't get along.  My sister and I once did Schnapps tasting 
> at
> a Schnapps shop in the Black Forest.  After sampling about 5 shots of
> different flavored Schnapps, we were so drunk we couldn't tell if any of
> them tasted good!  We each bought a bottle so we could leave (we were 
> taught
> it isn't polite to sample things and not buy), and our husbands had to 
> guide
> us down the sidewalk as we sang a merry song.  I can't drink beer, either.
> We went to the Oktoberfest in Munich and while everyone was enjoying the
> jumbo mugs of beer, I was sending my husband outside for Gluhwein.  He 
> told
> the German men that looked at him funny, "das ist fur mein Frau".  The
> Germans that joined in our fun at the table had a good time laughing at 
> me.
>
> I have never seen harnesses with the muzzle on them.  Interesting.  I 
> guess
> you don't have to worry about someone getting bit!  Your Haflingers look
> great with their special harness and ribbons.  Please add photos any time.
> I thoroughly enjoy them, and your wonderful posts.  Memories.
>
> Sharon in PA
>
>
>> I sent several photos in, so hopefully you'll like them.  I know someone
>> in
>> this procession who has a wagon taking part (with Haflingers, of course),
>> so
>> I will get to actually help this year.  I am so excited!  Yes, it's cold,
>> but they serve schnapps when we finally get to the churchyard...
>>
>> Heidi
>
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