Germany - Schwarzbier Oasis, Klein Pritz

The success of the three days and nights spent at the Schwarzbieroase, Klein Pritz, in the province of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern must be dedicated to our friends, old and new, Jack, Petra, Heiko and Anne. We made the final arrangements whilst in Berlin and travelled the four hours (including stops) to this wonderfully quiet and beautiful area south of Rostock in northern Germany.

http://www.schwarzbieroase.de/startseite.html

Heiko & Anne are currently refurbishing on a major scale and all should be ready by Spring of 2013. Jack and Petra are old friends who own and manage Jack's Gasthof in New Zealand.
The drive north from Berlin was on a Sunday so the roads were not too busy and we made two lengthy stops for brunch and tea. Klein Pritz is a hamlet on Lake Pritz and consists of some houses and holiday cottages, and the local pub the Schwarzbieroase with its camperstop.
We were shown to a large field and as we were the only 'van we could park and angle for view and space as we pleased. We all met late afternoon at a large table under a tree for sundowners and Jack treated us to homemade pizzas from the pub kitchen. It was a late night with much talking and catching up to do ....
Monday was spent enjoying the sunny weather and the highlight was Joan taking her first bicycle ride after the fall six weeks ago. We cycled to the nearby hamlet of Schlowa and had a rest on the banks of Lake Pritz.

Parked at the Schwarzbieroase

On the Monday evening we were treated to the most wonderful meal of Schnitzel and roasted potatoes (rosti) and salads you could wish for - all cooked and presented by our hosts. There were two schnitzel types to choose from, tomato and cheese coating or schnitzel with a fried quail egg on top, a meal of the proportions you only get when people enjoy the company of each other. I learnt that the Schwarzbieroase is renowned for the schnitzels from Heiko and Anne's kitchen. By the strangest set of circumstances we also met Don from Westport, New Zealand, a friend of Jack and Petra, who happens to know Joan's sons in New Zealand. See the picture below.

Guten Appetit / Mahlzeit!

The evening ended with Heiko showing us some before-and-progress-to-date slides of their renovations. All helped along by the black beer for which the area is known.

Inside the Schwarzbieroase

On the Tuesday it was ordained that some exercise was required to balance the food intake and Jack duly started mowing the lawn around the buildings. I went for a cycle ride to nearby Kukuk and later also for a swim in the lake, and not cold at all! Petra and Joan decided that a visit to a coffee shop with homemade cakes was called for and so the three of us cycled the 12km there and back through stunning countryside and quiet roads.

That's it, now push ....

We left Klein Pritz with that feeling of gratitude and fulfilment that can only be had when many little things come together to form the bigger whole. It was a superb and unforgettable visit, hosted by wonderful people. We got to see a part of Germany few 'motorhomers' from outside Germany will have seen. The countryside, forests and lakes, hospitality and gemutlichkeit, will be long remembered

Thank you Heiko and Anne, Jack and Petra, for this wonderful opportunity!