Forget George Washington, MOZART slept here!
Yup, Mozart slept here. And quite frequently. The Zur Post building in the center of Obing dates back to 1428, but was rebuilt in 1862 after a blacksmith’s fire burned the whole town down. They chose to rebuild the post rather than the castle, deeming it more useful and practical, and so used the stones from the castle to do so. John and Rita Gonzalves have been running the place since 1996, and it’s as old school as you could imagine. John is another giant of a man, with a long beard and booming voice, and so quintessentially Bavarian that his picture has been featured in tourism guides. Except… John is actually from San Francisco, and moved to Germany in the ‘80s. Rita is the Bavarian native, and the quiet powerhouse who runs the show tirelessly behind, alongside, and in front of the scenes. We played in the bar, and the crowd that came out seemed to really enjoy the songs, the beer, and my stories of my love for driving my Volkswagen back home. (I had a hard time explaining the concept of potholes, though.) More fantastically drinkable Bavarian beer: I think what I like best about the beer is that the focus is on balance and drinkability. It feels like so many craft breweries back home are trying so hard to be different or new or exciting that they overdo the flavors to the extreme, whether it’s eye popping IPAs or fruity, floral sours that smell like I could either drink them or wear them as perfume. Beer here is meant to have character, yet be easily drunk, be substantial enough to be enjoyed sip after sip, but also paired just as easily with food - which was currywurst and fries. (This was a tasty, brilliant idea, until I tried to sing 10 minutes later.) The evening was warm and informal, and seemed fun for everyone - we even made one guy late for his third shift work! (Sorry Andy! We’re glad Inge said she called your boss!) Obing is timeless in so many ways that even after coming here for many years, it just feels like a homecoming of sorts every time we’re back. But even in timeless towns, things change. For 1300 years the road used to run right through the center of town, but 3 years ago the government put another road in that goes around it, and businesses have been struggling ever since.
