August 2000 - Nr. 8
Dick reports...
CARABRAM…not as huge as before
Everything was there: Good weather, the big beer-tent, the
bands – Harmonie Brass Show Band, outside in the huge tent, and the
Evergreens in the hall -, plenty of security (including our "Schupo"
Hachenberg from Berlin) fantastic food and drink – even a wine bar -,
Regina
selling dirndls and other German goodies from her booth outside, lots of
entertainment, and volunteers from the Ladies’ Auxiliary stamping
passports at the entrance.
For
entertainment the club featured the "typical" Folk Dances,
Schuhplattler etc., but we also had the K.G Narragonia Girl Guard performing
guard and show dances for the guests. They girls, and Ingrid Wagner as
chaperone, had come all the way from Brantford to help the Hansa Club in
making the German Pavilion a success. Thanks guys!
The
only thing that was missing was the expected crowd. The many young people
that were there two years ago, when the club also had the big beer-tent,
didn’t show up. Last year the club tried to get away without the tent and
it was not very successful. So, this year the tent was back but apparently
the people of Mississauga and Brampton were not all that impressed. Of
course the pace picked up a little later on in the evening, but not to the
point where the police had to close the entrance, as was the case two years
ago.
The
museum was open and featured "Karnival" – or Mardi Gras, as we
have been calling it lately. Nice displays and hundreds of "Orden"
– the colourful medals given out during the carnival season to the
activists and members of the various societies. I thought that was a nice
touch. A live-size doll displayed a girl-guard uniform from the "First
Toronto Carnival Society", that unfortunately is now also defunct,
because of lack of surviving members. (Sybille was made an honourary member
– way back when)
But I still have fond memories of some of the events they staged many years ago with Otto and Ruth Wimmer – one of the greatest "Royal Couples" I have had the pleasure to meet, whose home-society was the "First Torontoer"
But
I digress, since we are talking about Carabram here. I hope these little
setbacks will not damage the enthusiasm for this event too much. I hate to
see it go down the tube like so many other wonderful events.
Konzelmann’s have done it again…
…the
annual get-together of lovers of fine wine and good food. Good weather is
nice too, and we had that on the 15th of July. A thin layer of
clouds and the sun coming through on and off made this a perfect afternoon
for the over 400 guests that had taken advantage of the invitation to
attend.
Admission
to the open house included a glass of wine – of your choice – a meal,
wonderfully catered by Lein’s Delicatessen, as usual, and a dessert of
cake and coffee.
Herbert Konzelmann addressed the guests and bid them welcome and to have fun. The band, "The Nu-Tones" exhibited and performed a wonderful repertoire of German music (You can call them at (905) 788-5000, if you want to book some great musicians).
The
food was delicious and of a variety that catered to everyone’s taste,
including some homemade cake. But then, I don’t think Gerda Lein and her
expert culinary team have ever disappointed anyone.
I think the event was a great success again and helped a
great deal to further awareness of those great wines from Ontario and
Konzelmann’s especially. I am still puzzled why I cannot get Konzelmann
wines at the Donauschwabenklub – one of my favourite hangouts.
Some of the photos I took that afternoon have already erroneously been published in another publication.. Well, things happen!
I also went to see Reif’s Winery, down the street from Konzelmann’s. Klaus Reif had also advertised an open house and a display of some of the wonderful Chevy Corvettes that Klaus Reif is so fond of. Of course he owns three of them, which he had restored himself. Boys will be boys! There were about 30 of them on display including a pace car from the Indianapolis 500, in 1959.
I don’t know what makes people so fanatic about their "Vettes", but then there are also a lot of people that are just as enamoured and fanatic about the VW Beetle. It’s a nice hobby, nevertheless.
Until next month – as always –
Dick Altermann
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