Hüttengaudi = Fun in the hut
If you want to experience Bavaria unchained, you need to find a “Huettengaudi” – this is a fun-filled evening of drinking, playing music, singing and dancing where everyone really lets loose.
I’ve known the Kohler twins for years and they’ve often asked me to visit them at their small restaurant on the north side of the Forgensee, near Füssen. This year I promised to bring my group by for dinner. As it turned out, everyone agreed this was the highlight of the trip!
After a full day of touring the country-side – Hohenschwangau, Neuschwanstein, Zugspitze and Kloster Ettal we arrived at the Kohlerhof a bit before 7:00 PM. We filed of the bus and into the small restaurant. We had the distinct feeling that everyone was waiting for us.
Michael, Georg, and Karin all welcomed us and explained how the evening would proceed. It was all very serious as he explained they had arranged for a wood keg of beer, his mom had set-up a buffet of Bavarian favorites and about the two musicians. With that, I was asked to come forward and tap the keg of beer. It was set up in the middle of the room. Michael handed me the wooden mallet and told me to whack the tap handle hard and fast. It was my first time and I did it in 4 whacks, though the beer sprayed the poor fellow at a nearby table. He was a little miffed, but happy when I said I gladly buy him a beer for his troubles. Georg, Michael and I quickly filled glasses for everyone – the first Paulaner Oktoberfest beer of the trip and, boy, was it tasty!
We then proceed to the buffet. Karin had soup, Weisswurst, several stypes of pork, sausages, and Cheese Spätzle – the Käsespätzle in particular was awesome! While we ate, Franz, a young accordionist, played some calm dinner music. Michael and Georg were excellent hosts and kept everyone’s beer glass filled and Karin made sure no one went hungry!
After dinner, a Baritone joined the accordion and the music got a bit louder and cheery. Next came out the Teufelsgeige, washboard and spoons. Michael distributed the handmade instruments around the room and we all joined in with the music. When the Bavarians discovered that Christina spoke some German, she was plucked from us and absorbed by the Bavarians. Several of the locals polled us as to the german songs we knew and we had a great time singing the Cincinnati special, “Ja, wir wollen noch eins heben.”
While all this was going on, Michael was behind the bar filling up schnapps glasses. He presented them on a long ski and we all had to take one. It was Karin’s birthday and we all drank a toast to her and sang Happy Birthday.
At this point, all order had been lost. People were jumping from table to table, some were singing and others were dancing with complete strangers. Michael and Georg had a few more surprises up their sleeves –
Michael first made the rounds and got all the ladies to sign the inner flap of his Lederhosen. He followed up on this by making a round with the Schnupftabak Machine
this crazy machine is supposed to quickly inject a does of finely ground tobacco quickly into both nostrils. Amazingly, all of our guests gave this a go!
Countering all this German fun, one of our guests gave a demonstration of the “Fire dance” with lighted poi. Given the low ceiling, it was hard for her to really get spinning, but everyone was enthralled with the beautiful demonstration.
A little more beer went around, a little more singing, and a lot more dancing ensued and all were in good spirits. Around 11:00 PM, we had emptied the keg and reluctantly decided it was time to head back to Hotel Ruchti in Bad Faulenbach. Everyone followed us out to our bus and Danielle gave us one more demonstration of her poi spinning as the two musicians serenaded us with Bavarian music . We said our good-byes and there were many hugs and even a tear or two – none us us were quite ready to leave. ..