Beer for breakfast in Ettlingen...oh my!

On Sunday (15 April), we hopped on the tram and headed for Ettlingen, a small town of ~40,000 just south of Karlsruhe. There we met a friend of ours, Jurgen, who invited us to join him at the Vogelbrau, a locally brew pub, to listen to some music.The Vogelbrau, located in an old movie theatre, was packed with folks when we arrived at 10:45 a.m. The band cranked up at 11 and they were fabulous; they played lots of Elvis and old rock and roll tunes. I have never seen so many happy Germans in one place (of course, it might have had something to do with the local brew....hmmm). After a beer of our own, we left to tour the city with Jurgen and have lunch. When we returned at 2 p.m.,  the band was still going strong and the Vogelbrau was rocking! Art and I joined the rest of the folks on the dance floor and had an absolute blast. What a way to spend a Sunday. 

The Vogelbrau.

The band setting up. Note the large copper tanks behind the stage, where the beer is brewed.

Jurgen and Art with their first beer at 11 a.m. The beer here is unfiltered, cold, 6% alcohol by volume, and tastes great! Our favorite Irish pub in Karlsruhe, the Bray Head, also serves beer from the Vogelbrau next door to it.

The band cranks up and so do the dancers. Turns out that the base player (red checked shirt) is a good friend of one of my graduate students in Karlsruhe. Small world!

Standing room only on both floors. 

Here is the Alb River, which begins in the hills of the Black Forest, runs through Ettlingen, and eventually empties into the Rhine river. 

Ettlingen has been a city since 768. This is the entrance to the Marktplatz.

These are remnants of a Roman bath. Ettlingen was an important crossroads during Roman times. 

This is the pedestrian gateway through the town hall's tower. The relief shows death on horseback and honors those who were killed in WWI. 

The town hall. 

A statue of St. George, slaying the dragon.

Typical residences in the center of town.

Another view of the old town.

The Erbprinz is a 5-star hotel and restaurant, just down the street from the Vogelbrau. It was originally a stately home, back in the 13th century.