Europe Trip

Little or nothing to do with distillation.

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heartcut
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Re: Europe Trip

Post by heartcut »

€1000.00 a shot is pretty steep. Damn.
Right trip highlights, spirits and scenery. Thanks.
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Re: Europe Trip

Post by MDH »

Awesome. Thanks for snooping around Bushman.

On a side note, you'll have probably seen a lot of Jean-Paul Mette Eau de Vie there. I don't know if you can visit the distillery (I've never been inside it), but their Eau de Vie is absolutely excellent. A really clear, beautiful capturing of fruit taste. If you decide to enter Germany through Alsace, he is in Ribeauville.
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Re: Europe Trip

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Currently in Beaune, had a great private wine tasting with a slideshow on the wines of France, how to read the bottles on the label, etc. The person that gave the presentation was an ex professor of wines and wine pairing at the school of Le Cordon Bleu of Tokyo but is French himself. Very detailed as I didn't realize how many laws they have on their wine labels. The wines were excellent and the tasting was in a wine cave but for the 4 of us it was a bit spendy.
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Re: Europe Trip

Post by Odin »

I remember a small town just north of Beaune, Nuits St-George, that has tremendous red wine. Beaune is beautiful, by the way! Visiting some wineries is just fantastic!

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Re: Europe Trip

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Thanks Odin, we did a wine tour around the valley today, tasted what Rick Steve's (writes tour guides for US citizens) said was the best white wine in the world. It should be at 18 euro per six small samples (I figure that that equals on glass at $24.00 US) tomorrow we are off to Italy!
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Re: Europe Trip

Post by Odin »

... and I am off to Florida in just a few hours. Have fun Bushman, see you soon!

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Re: Europe Trip

Post by Bushman »

Third night in Italy and between France and Italy my wife and I are consuming between 1-2 bottles of wine a day not to mention how many bottles we have bought to bring home (not sure weight or quantity wise we are legal). Since I am in Italy for 2 more days, currently in Venice I think tonight Grappa is in order! Odin looking forward to meeting you.
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Re: Europe Trip

Post by OlympicMtDoo »

I haven't been around the boards much this summer Bushman but it sounds like you're having a great vacation. Say Hi to Odin for me. I have been working around the home stead all summer getting things in order and ready to build a new house in the spring, goin to tear the old cabin down and build a shinny new house. Anyhow I'll tip one for you and Odin this evening. OMD
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Re: Europe Trip

Post by Bushman »

Saw this I think 1928 Bentley at a Restraunt parking lot in Austria.
I told my wife it could be my birthday present! Car is still Austria.
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Re: Europe Trip

Post by Bushman »

8-1/2 hour drive from Prague to Amsterdam, currently staying in a houseboat we rented for 3 nights. Tomorrow afternoon I am meeting up with Odin for dinner and a distillery tour, Saturday the family will do their thing and I will spend the day running an iStill with the help of Odin.
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View from inside the houseboat to the canal
View from inside the houseboat to the canal
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WooTeck
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Re: Europe Trip

Post by WooTeck »

looks awesome. dam is a really cool place. you should check out the wildeman. its the bar that is always the first stop when i arrive luggage and all. first went when is was 16(legal drinking age there) with the scouts. couldn't tell you where exactly but the directions are burned in to my memory. the legs just seem to go on auto pilot.
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Re: Europe Trip

Post by Bushman »

Just Googled it and here is the review:

“Best bar in Europe”
5 of 5 starsReviewed 21 February 2011
We visit Amsterdam every year & this bar is one of the highlights of our visits. We go every day and play cards while enjoying the beer & "people watching". The staff are welcoming and very knowledgable so will always recommend beers if you need help. It has a great atmosphere and is an absolute must for all visitors to Amsterdam. Take care going down stairs to the loo after a few beers it is a bit risky.
Will definitely check it out!
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Re: Europe Trip

Post by WooTeck »

Bushman wrote:Just Googled it and here is the review:

“Best bar in Europe”
5 of 5 starsReviewed 21 February 2011
We visit Amsterdam every year & this bar is one of the highlights of our visits. We go every day and play cards while enjoying the beer & "people watching". The staff are welcoming and very knowledgable so will always recommend beers if you need help. It has a great atmosphere and is an absolute must for all visitors to Amsterdam. Take care going down stairs to the loo after a few beers it is a bit risky.
Will definitely check it out!
thats definatly acurate my dad gos at least once a year to dam for a confence or with the scouts. it was also gave its name to a flying dog beer.

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Re: Europe Trip

Post by Bushman »

Suggestion for travellers, I downloaded on my iphone a free app (good for 5 cities or you can purchase the app to get unlimited and more info) called Maps2Go. Once you learn how to use it (not hard) you can save locations double click on the area and it serves as a compass as it directs you around town. So far I have used it in Paris, Prague, and now Amsterdam. Walking around the cities it has got me to locations and back to where I am staying. I save the destinations in my favorites, thus far I am pretty impressed with it. It also gives detailed information about different places to see.
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Re: Europe Trip

Post by WooTeck »

i like the last bit. ive used trip adviser app for finding whats out and about. im kinda lucky i allways seem to know where i am. i can get lost in a foregn city and work my way back to where im staying fairly quickly.
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Re: Europe Trip

Post by Bushman »

Had a great evening with Odin and his wife, we went to a distillery where the woman owner was 3rd generation then to her bar for dinner and sampling of different genever. Odin taught us how to eat raw herring without a fork so we would not look like tourists. After that it was a walk through the red light district then to Woo Teck's suggestion of the Wildeman bar. Odin is a great guy and his experiences and stories had my family in stitches. Looking forward to tomorrow and running the iStill!
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Re: Europe Trip

Post by Bushman »

Spent the day with Odin running the iStill, it pretty much ran itself but as it went through it's steps after a set up we did a stripping run and then a spirit run of vodka from his rye bread recipe. We samples some of his product and discussed philosphy and shared distilling ideas. It was amazing both of us coming from different backgrounds but being so like-minded in our ideology! All in all a great day thanks Odin and thanks to his wife for making lunch for us.
Tomorrow we head to Paris to return the car and Monday we have the long flight home.
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Re: Europe Trip

Post by HDNB »

Thanks for sharing the vaycay with us, and allowing us to live vicariously through your posts and pics!
have a safe journey home.
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Re: Europe Trip

Post by Bushman »

It's a bit self serving as members have given me great advice on where to go, what to see, and things to do.
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Re: Europe Trip

Post by Bushman »

After 24 hours awake and a 9 hour time difference I am now home from Europe, I want to thank everyone that made suggestions on things to do while traveling in their country or countries they werre familiar with. You enriched our journey. A special thanks to Odin and his wife for meeting us in Amsterdam, planning a distillery tour, going out to dinner and drinks, spending the next day running the iStill, and the list goes on! I will try to catch up on sleep then start fermenting again as it has been several months. I also want to take time and review our New Distillers reading lounge and see if there is any improvements we can make to that section.
Again thank you all from Scotland all the way through Europe.
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Re: Europe Trip

Post by Odin »

Hi Bushman, it was great meeting you & the family! The distillery was good, the food was fine, the girls in the red light district were ... distracting! But the best part was us meeting and doing a few runs together. I am proud to call you my friend. See you soon at your side of the pond!

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Re: Europe Trip

Post by Odin »

Rock, if ever you want to come over ... know that there's a batch or rye bread ferment bubbling away, for you to be distilled!

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Re: Europe Trip

Post by Bushman »

Odin my house is always open!
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Re: Europe Trip

Post by WooTeck »

oden you based near the dam? im thinking about a few days over there early next year since the flight are so cheap
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Re: Europe Trip

Post by Bushman »

WooTeck wrote:oden you based near the dam? im thinking about a few days over there early next year since the flight are so cheap
Well worth the visit! I came back with new ideas for running my still, plus a meeting of the minds is always a good thing.
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Re: Europe Trip

Post by Odin »

Hi Wooteck, we are just 30 minutes by car or train from Amsterdam's city center.

Would love to meet you!

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Re: Europe Trip

Post by WooTeck »

yeh meeting up with like minded folk would be awesome. all my friends, SOH and folks are getting fed up with my brewing/copper related activitys. so glad i have this online group of friends that will never tire :D
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Re: Europe Trip

Post by Odin »

... on another note: I will be coming over to the USA second half of November. I am near Allentown, Pennsylvania. Would anybody like to join me for a few drinks Saturday night, November 22nd?

Regards, Odin.
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Re: Europe Trip

Post by ShineonCrazyDiamond »

Odin wrote:... on another note: I will be coming over to the USA second half of November. I am near Allentown, Pennsylvania. Would anybody like to join me for a few drinks Saturday night, November 22nd?

Regards, Odin.
That's my neck of the woods. I would love to try and make it. I will know in the next few weeks if that is possible for me and let you know.

Side note, too bad it's not the week before. Our HD thanksgiving, Jedfest, is right over there, and will be marked by good people and a great rib-sticking American country feast!

We knew you were going to be in the area around that time, but had to set the date.

Regardless, I'm sure there will be a few members to meet you that night. :thumbup:
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