Pet Talk in Munich I

[Barbara]

Seeing that my co-delegates may have to catch up on some sleep -and some of them are in time zones much further West- I feel I should at least give some general information.

Some of you know that Filou broke my camera last week, so I too have to wait for the pictures but I tell you: Hundreds were taken!

Regarding the outcome of the conference: Some of the results will be confidential but I can tell that I was very happy to hear this afternoon that President Bush and Chancellor Schroeder shaked hands today for the first time in 16 months. You don't see the success of your hard work that quickly most of the time.

And hard work it was.

Sara and Don arrived at Thursday. In spite of their jetlag, we forced them to see Munich's answer to Versailles:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/p2d19185c8cb0a1443be84293ac30fbde/fb003406.jpg

(I wonder why there were Corvette fans staying in the US......)

They also had to taste their first beer under the chestnut trees close by.

After that, Filou and Tigris had to unpack their gifts. (See John's thread). I must admit that some foreign drugs were smuggled in this region (Organic grown US catnip....). This part of the conference was a big success.

Next day we picked Vio up. All of us went to a little town that still looks rather medieval (To learn from history was one of our major purposes).

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/p02c0d261ee32296d6bb71a694ae3a083/fb003454.jpg

We are sitting in the very background of this picture;)

In the evening, Randi and John arrived. Shortly after the full conference was started you can already see in our faces on the picture in John's thread that stress had started. (Especially for Filou, who I must admit it growled at any conference member. He's a monarchist, not a democrat:( )

Next day we went to downtown Munich:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/p0c894e768b446f8735fd869703d766ea/fb003431.jpg

At this time our conference had the tough part where you think you'll never make it, as the start of Oktoberfest plus a big soccer game crowded the places so much that Vio had just time to buy one pair of shoes (no shoes for Sara, Randi and me:( :( :( ) before we had to move the conference to one of Munich's beer (No, just applejuice) gardens.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/pe0d140eac41a24b53402138e89b3af9b/fb003495.jpg

Next day: We went for lunch to a brewery , aaahhh conference site near the Alps:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/pa068fc396ebf38c6fc791d5280b3efa1/fb003426.jpg

This place was so secret I could not find a single decent picture of it in the whole wide web.

Then we went up the Alps to have a view of all our problems from a distance:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/p0db7899de4a86acc3808840cf034c80e/fb003467.jpg

The weather was all the time in the low 80s. Too sunny, because the standard Bavarian sky needs some white clouds.

[Barbara]

The next day was the famous Oktoberfest:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/pf29c982110abb95e59b57355dfbcfb35/fb00343b.jpg

The conference had to make sure that we did not only deal with cats (especially 2 of them) and dogs (we met many of them and included them all in our polls) but also with horses.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/pc4eff10e5cf5b5731b7e6def15b61e41/fb00345f.jpg

Everybody in Munich knows that politics is made in the big tents so of course we had to be there too.

Now you have the background of the party and know how much we worked all the time.

We declare that we had toasts for everybody -some of you wished wine, others beer -we took care of that.

We hope that next time the number of delegates will be even higher. Right now the places of Chicago, Chisinau and Copenhagen compete for the next conference:D

[Logan]

LOL!!!! Barbara, we're still looking forward to 100 pictures, at least, of all the festivities!! But thanks for the tour of Munich! Sure wish I could have been there!!! :)

[Cataholic]

Barbara, that was GREAT!!! Only problem? I want more!1

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Originally posted by Barbara
Regarding the outcome of the conference: Some of the results will be confidential but I can tell that I was very happy to hear this afternoon that President Bush and Chancellor Schroeder shaked hands today for the first time in 16 months. You don't see the success of your hard work that quickly most of the time.


Wow! You guys are good! Must have been the conference at the secret Alp location that got them moving so quickly. :D

The pics are great and I love the day to day breakdown of what you did. Sounds like a wonderful time was had by all - but no shoes for Sara, Randi or Barbara? I'm confused, why not? ;) :D

And all the Corvettes! Did you actually see those there or was that just a pic on the internet? It would be so cool to see a gathering of Corvettes while on vacation in Germany. When we were in Switzerland last year, there was a gathering of Porsches (if I remember correctly). It was cool because those guys are as crazy as the car guys over here. :D

Thanks for the pics and the synopsis. Hopefully we'll get pics from the others real soon!?!? ;) :D

[Miss Meow]

Beer, shoe shopping, brewery lunches, Pet Talkers from several countries, Tigris and Filou - HEAVEN!!! :D

[gini]

That does it! Next conference I will sign up early and be there - with or without shoes.

Barbara, what fun! Great tour - but sorry, those are not nearly enough pictures for this group! (all pettalkers).

[Randi]

Having survived the battle to get to Munich downtown along with the football teams and the Octoberfest crowd, we still managed to get a snapshot from there.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/p19bd503957c3579794e00e0d61ac225b/faf74bdd.jpg

After a walk around the city, we had to taste the famous beers and have a bite to eat before we went back to a delicious dinner Barbara cooked.

Then, the next day we drove to the alps and passed some very pretty villages on the way.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/pad4dde115b970b0c7ef3dd3a2e7d53e1/faf74bd0.jpg

We had lunch by the Monastry we visited - they also brewed beer and it was a lovely place with a nice view. I won't comment on the typical german sauerkraut and potato salad!

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/p0f4a68f2669e5d26a704a0ab3846db3a/faf74bd3.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/pd9806cf1d2fd4ec7feb60fb3a6af361a/faf74bd5.jpg

I think Barbara and Siegmar will be able to tell more about the nuns.

Get on PT Siegmar and tell some stories! I'm sure Barbara will let you! ;)

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/p94cd51385b119a9c5b7f3ebd1deea06e/faf74bd1.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/pc306202be0442644da3abf328ce42df4/faf57c9e.jpg

More later! :)

[Russian Blue]

It looks like you guys had a great time! I'm so envious and I miss Europe sooo much!

Anyone want to trade houses with me? I think I'm a little bored with my surroundings!

;)

[Miss Meow]

Yay, more pics! Thank you :)

It's amazing how Pet Talk brings people together. You have all known each other personally for less than a day, but you look like great friends in the pictures :)

[Randi]

After our lunch by the Monastry, we had to go the last bit to the top. As lazy as some of us are, we decided to go by funicular and had a wonderful view!

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/p91da6862b09f65d65993f367c617b325/faf74bcf.jpg

We even saw some paragliders right next to us. Saw one take off too. :eek:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/p869a6907c15e64487608a1662afc75d9/faf53ed8.jpg

Still, when getting out, we hadn't quite reached the top, so we had a 10 min. steep walk the last bit. We badly needed a drink after that - and had one! :)

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/pef3487c638fcbfd32a168468bd601b91/faf74bcb.jpg

The view was stunning over the mountains.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/p3ba403a15c5704a7bc199fd3d0afdddc/fafc691d.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/pe859e35821a3a5e3d3e47a55206cdbe3/fafc68aa.jpg

It was time to go back before dark, so down we went again, drove back and had a wonderful evening in Filou & Tigris' company.

More later.

[Killearn Kitties]

What wonderful pictures. Thanks so much for letting us see them. They have made me realised it is far far too long since I was in Germany. I may have to pay a visit to the travel agent tomorrow. ;)

[Barbara]

Originally posted by Russian Blue


Anyone want to trade houses with me? I think I'm a little bored with my surroundings!

;)

Does that include trading cats?????;)

[Edwina's Secretary]

At long last....some more of my photos....

Look at this fabulous weather Barbara arranged for us...
City Hall - downtown Munich

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/pabcc171f149b76b1f60375f109cc065c/faf464dc.jpg

Looking down from a castle
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/p941689e2694cb4a65796cc33da52b371/faf45385.jpg
the castle
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/pc4edbb97dfba064db5c49b43d6cd6a25/faf4f8a4.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/p0ce3bc4b8445dff730c2465092c4c153/faf4f8ae.jpg
and...the honeymoon cottage
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/p250ed7cfe64c6e781ec06ec36ddb0c89/faf5037d.jpg

[krazyaboutkatz]

Great pics everyone. :) Germany sure looks beautiful. :)

[Ally Cat's Mommy]

AWWWW I am SO Jealous!! It looks like you all had a wonderful time!!!

Thanks for posting all the great pics!!!!!

[Randi]

Back home from our trip, Tigris and Filou were waiting, and considering the crowd, they were quite sociable – at least with some of us. Vio and I were lucky that Tigris let us hold him a few times. Filou was too quick for us. ;) The picture of Vio, I can't find, but I hope another of the participants will post it.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/pc6286475848e132ca805287974ee1f0b/faf57aca.jpg
Tigris, the kitty from outer space!


But as soon as Sara had the vitamin paste in her hand, that was a much more interesting the place to be! :eek:


http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid82/pe103f122f9e9c95425469bfd9d9910d6/faec0572.jpg
Please, if I sit real nice like this, can I have some?


http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid82/p1b1b703de976fbe5150ccc6fd7a835a8/faec0566.jpg
I know how to hold it already.


http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid82/p903a4f8123be41ccdc3d126516528107/faec0247.jpg
Filou was watching all the time in the background and of course, he wanted in on it too!

John was the luckiest of us all, the last day we sat quietly around chatting, Tigris came up and leaned on him - and he stayed for quite a while!! :D More pics of that coming soon!

[Edwina's Secretary]

Randi...thank goodness! I was worried you posted the photos of me rolling around in the sauerkraut! ;) :D ;)

[gini]

Such nice pictures. I expect Rascal to sit on my lap and give me attention and loving. But, when someone elses cat will allow me to pet them or even hold them, I think that is a real honor.

Sara, what is the vitamin paste? Do all of you give it to your kitties?

It looks as though the tube is almost empty - so it must be yummy.

[gini]

Oh, I get it. It isn't the vitamin paste that Tigris is interested in after all. It is the smell of sauerkraut eminating from Sara.

[Barbara]

This vitamin paste is some German stuff and all the kitties around here are mad about it. Of course I gave some to Sara, Randi and Vio and it seems that it met their kitties' taste as well:D