A TRIP WITH OUTDOOR RECREATION
OUTDOOR RECREATION ACTIVITIES The Adventure Experts
shapes
eaf Czech crystal graphed at Ronneburg above, is set in five classic to right: Flute, Sherry, n and red wine.The flute ine such as Champagne pth it needs for bubbles to oid the Paris goblet with a l too shallow for swirling; ts the bubbles dissipate e martinis in such glasses the wide shape of the bals used to serve brandy Armagnac and red The short stem allows the he glass to warm the liquid ease the bouquet.The red er than the white wine ze should be filled to only w plenty of space for te wine glass has a longer drinker’s hands are away eeping the delicate white
The ruling glass Bohemian crystal is a cut above
f you’re like me, you don’t want to spend a fortune on crystal. I had visions of my husband’s buddies throwing glasses in the fireplace and dancing on the table at my upcoming wedding. You might say they are the “enthusiastic” type. My nightmares were soothed when I discovered a crystal story by Alice Verberne shopper’s dream photos by Dennis Johnson just a few hours from my front and Jim McDonald door. Just four hours east of Hanau by car lies the medieval spa town of Karlovy Vary. This regal village offers shops filled with world renowned Bohemian crystal, posh restaurants ke you crystal shopping this Spring. Overnight and decadent spas dedicated to your begin in March. Wiesbaden ODR has trips relaxation. Don’t feel like driving? Let Outdoor Shopping trips also go to Prague. The trips Recreation (ODR) take you there. BSB’s, boarding the bus very early in the mornThe bus drive is a little longer (six the stores open. The evening is free to enjoy hours), but you can snooze and steam yourself at a spa, and check out the when you awake, you will be dazzled morning, you can sleep off your hangover on the by shop windows full of glittering ving home in the late afternoon. stemware. All ODR offices in the Rec for trip schedules. 104th ASG are planning trips to Karlovy Vary starting in March.
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Hanau ODR is planning overnight trips to Prague as well – another great shopping town. The trips are very popular, so sign up early. You can even sign up at one ODR for a trip that departs from another. “We are trying to give the customer more options by letting them register for ODR trips at any of our office branches, even those that are not in the same ASG,” says Craig Edwards, the manager of Darmstadt ODR in the 26th ASG. Ernest Johnson at Hanau Outdoor Recreation enjoys sharing his experience with new shoppers. “Last time we went, six of us had dinner and drinks at an upscale restaurant and the bill was only $80. It’s an excellent trip, and we usually stop in the town of Cheb to shop at the Asian flea market where knockoffs of name brand items are sold. Our participants love that.” I joined the Darmstadt ODR trip and was given the royal treatment by their staff. They helped me exchange money and guided me toward the best crystal shops, finest restaurants and spas.
ebsite at www.armygermany.com • visit our website at www.armygermany.com • visit our website at www.armygermany.com
For six centuries Bohemia has been making fine crystal and they are still masters of the art today. Take a break from shopping to visit the Moser factory on the edge of town. For about a dollar, you can take a tour and watch the artisans blow and cut glass. I went crazy in Karlovy Vary and bought two complete sets of stemware; a one of a kind, glitteringly beautiful, absolutely perfect pattern and one my husband liked. Two sets of crystal, how extravagant! Not at all, that’s why smart people buy their crystal here. I spent only $200 for both sets and those were even trimmed in gold. No Bloomingdale’s prices here in the Czech Republic. My two sets were carefully inspected and packed by the shopkeeper, who “rimmed and pinged” each glass to double-check for quality and faults. Since I no longer had to worry about anyone breaking my precious crystal, I used my new and perfect pattern at our medieval castle wedding celebration. It added that intimate touch to the toasts of our most special day.
Lovely Prague is a center for music and culture as well as Bohemian crystal. Picutred above, the changing of the guard and the city at night.
Crystal buying tips • The word for glass is sklo, it is not an indication of fine quality and does not mean that the product is crystal. • Hand-made crystal costs three times more than machine-made crystal. • In order to test your stemware, tap the lip of the glass with a pen, it should ping. If you hear a thud, it’s not crystal. • Stemware comes in many shapes and sizes. If you are planning to buy a collection, you will want to know what beverage is served in which piece of stemware. The glasses depicted on the top left page list their shape and what is served in them.
Wiesbaden/Dexheim Outdoor Rec DSN 337-5760/334-5818 WAAF/Anderson Barracks M Fly-Fishing Class T Rock Climbing Th Swim Trips T-F 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. T-F Ski, Snowboard, Bike Repair Shop Jan 1 Ski Feldberg Jan 2 Ski Maintenance Class Jan 4-7 Advanced Scuba Class Jan 4-7 Rescue Diver Scuba Class Jan 4-7 Scuba Diving Specialty Class Jan 5-6 Ski Feldberg Jan 6,27 Rock Climbing Trip Jan 9 Road Bicycle Maintenance Class Jan 11-13 Shopping Trip to Poland Jan 11 Open Water Scuba Jan 12 Ski Feldberg Jan 12,21 Fishing Trip to Limburg Jan 13 Ice Skating Jan 16 Snowboard Maintenance Class Jan 17 Orienteering Class Jan 18-21 Ski Feldberg Jan 20 Swim Trip Jan 23 Mountain Bike Maintenance Jan 26 Ski Engelberg Jan 26 Shopping Trip, Centro Mall Baumholder Outdoor Rec DSN 485-7182 Bldg. 8895, Wetzel Housing Jan 4-6 Ski and Snowboarding Trip, Switzerland Jan 11-14 Ski Trip, Austria (Martin Luther King Jr., weekend) Jan 26 Feldberg, Black Forest Giessen Outdoor Rec DSN 343-8202/8207 Bldg. 58, Giessen Depot Jan 5 Black Forest Ski Trip Jan 12 Austria Ski Trip Jan 19 Garmisch Ski Trip Jan 26 Winterberg Ski Trip Hanau Outdoor Rec DSN 322-8891, Bldg. 459, Old Argonner Kaserne Jan 4-6 Ski and Snowboarding Trip to Feldberg and the Black Forest Jan 12 Feldberg Day Trip, Black Forest Jan 18-21 Ski Trip to Garmisch Jan 26 Feldberg Day Trip, Black Forest
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