Prost, dass d’Gurgl net verrost’t

"Cheers, so that the throat doesn't rust"

maybe better would be:

"Prost ihr Säcke"  respond "Prost Du Sack"

a little bawdy but in essence "Cheers you Oldies *. Cheers you Oldie"

One of those days that goes down in the personal history book, an event so simple but I think for all involved, a priceless moment. The four of us certainly haven't been together as a group for at least 25 years. We are four colleagues from the '80s and this meeting came about as described in my journal of 13 Dec 2014.

However, I must repeat some words I wrote back then:

these three very special people, so very different but united through a common bond of humour, respect, ideals, interests and most importantly, love of a pint. I have a lot to thank the three of them; for their support, loyalty and laughs.

Nigel (Bliper Nogbad) arrived in his "second home" on Sunday night, Phil & Paul flew in yesterday afternoon and Nigel had gone out to welcome them with a few pints of beer from Munich airports own brewery. The evening continued in this vane.

Today given the weather was reasonable, I took off with the dogs to Munich and met up with them at the Augustiner Keller beer garden which is directly next to Angie's office and of course, she joined us too (and took the Blip of the old sacks). It was as if we met every week - straight into the old humour, the old automatic "understanding" of each other's character. For me a few hours of simple, pure, priceless joy - I have to admit I had a lump in my throat.

This is the third such event for me in three years, the other two were even more personal and emotional but one can't regret the "lost time" but simply enjoy the present.

And enjoy we did. As a joke, I had dressed in a "traditional" Bavarian cardigan (on Nogbads last visit in 2009 I went as far as donning Lederhosen) and wore a non-traditional but country bumpkin straw hat bought at the Oktoberfest a few years ago for 1 Euro. Also had a wicker basket covered with a white/blue tea towel, containing knives, wooden boards, salt & pepper mills, paper napkins with white/blue Bavarian motives, a cucumber, freshly hard-boiled eggs from our bantams. Angie then got us from the sales counters two large Brezn (large pretzel bread - on the front of table) and some dishes of Obazda, a camembert/onion/paprika cream cheese and we set to work on the beer and food.

It always amazes me that in many beer gardens, one is allowed to bring one's own food, only obliged to buy drinks from the owners. Naturally, they also offer food of all sorts - fish, meat, bread etc.

I think we all thoroughly enjoyed it and while I had previously texted Nigel, Angie & I would only stay for one beer, somehow the afternoon drew to early evening. Luckily Angie had stayed almost alcohol-free and so I was poured into the passenger seat and driven home.

Tomorrow we meet again for a south-west Bavarian tour. Weather sadly not quite so good but should at least stay dry which I need to do as well, being the driver. Nogbad is the tour guide, he knows it better than the M26 link motorway.

Oh and today counts as a "Blip Meeting".

(Have posted an early morning OAP walk "Extra photo". Today for the first time since the autumn walked through the forest, the trees having been cleared last week from the various storms. Asyr the horse 30, Flash 12 and myself 60 being taken out by Luna 2