WORST: Trying to fill my photography assignment of taking a picture of something French. Did I mention New Ulm is a German Town!
MOST UNEXPECTED: I am actually riding the bike quite a bit today on a day off, first to the brewery and then to town.
Last nights dinner was awful, boiled chicken boobs with rice-a-roni lookalike, corn, and salad. It all looked the same in the cafeteria but at least the salad added some color to the meal. As a result, we decided to walk back down to town to Rodneys tavern for a few brewskis. There were five of us at a table, and three of our women folk went to the bar where they were working the crowd for free drinks. I talked to a table of three men to get the dope (not literally) on New Ulm and had a great conversation with them, got the morning breakfast place identified, (Ulrich's) and they recommended the brewery tour. After a couple of beer, I bailed out and got back around 10:30. I am such a lightweight as most of the group didn't leave until 12:30. However, I did wake up bright and bushytailed at 6:45.
The night was hot in our rooms as there is no air conditioning. I set up my fan on the window and at least blew some air over me. I also took a cold shower (not for the usual reason) just before laying down in the sauna room.
Morning found several of us walking or riding to Ulmer cafe for breakfast and I had an omelette. Walking back to the college I paid $2 to access Hermann the German (giant statue to Hermann who defeated the Roman legions in 9 A.D. ) and walked up to the top to look up his skirt. Good view of New Ulm from the top. Below the statue was a very informative room describing the background of the statue, history of Hermann, and I found my photo assignment in a mention on one of the information boards. I had a backup picture of french dressing from the night before, but this was better. A for effort, C for followthrough.
Several of us then got on our bikes and rode to the Schell's brewery which is the second oldest family owned brewery in the nation. It was a very hot ride, but the brewery museum was air conditioned. The humidity is starting to get to me, and we still have three weeks to go.
We got a brief tour of the brewery, watched a video of how they make beer, and then we got to pour six different bottles of beer into plastic cups up to a blue line. After these six small samples, we got to go to the bar and get an actual cup of beer along with their root beer. I liked several of their beers, but the root beer was truly outstanding. We then took pictures of the family mansion, and took a hot ride back to the college.
I grabbed my Ipad and headed to Lola's for a great sandwich (pork loin + on ciabatta) and for great air conditioning where I am writing this blog at 3:00. I plan on going to the movies at 4 to see Spiderman in air conditioned comfort, then back to Lola's for dinner and some reading. Lola's is like a giant coffee shop with couches and easy chairs.
The picture of the red house with a cupola and a tree is a former Minnesota's governors house from teh late 1800's, the picture of the two story brick house that looks squat is the mansion at the brewery.
If you found the word franco (Franco-Prussian war) in the exhibit showing the Hermann statue in Germany then you found my picture of something French.
You definitely get credit for the effort put into finding French things in a German town. I could have sworn I'd heard Minnesotans were crazy for Bastille Day... :)
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