I tried to keep my expectations low because this trip has been built up for a long time but it really was so much fun!!! Oktoberfest is such a cool tradition (though I don't exactly know what the tradition is for). The Germans were all so nice and everyone was just happy, drunk, and friendly. It was great to see all my friends from Duke, and run in to the most random people from Darien, volleyball, camp, you name it - I ran in to someone from it.
What no one told me is that Oktoberfest is actually a huge family festival too! There are tons of rides, games, foods stands, and bands. It reminded me a lot of the North Carolina state fair... except everyone was running around in dirndl and lederhosen speaking German.
We landed Thursday afternoon, so we had some time to explore the center of Munich which was beautiful. (We also had time to explore the airport which I think might be my favorite airport ever. So big. So efficient. Had everything a traveler could want) Anyways, the stone architecture in the city center had character but was still clean and modern. The streets were filled with people and there were stores selling dirndl and lederhosen everywhere. Right when we got off the metro we ran in to St. Peter's Church which you most likely recognize from the Shrek movies. For dinner we went to a classic German restaurant which consisted of a lot of meat, potatoes, and beer. Don't know if I could live off that food forever but it was pretty dang good (shout out to you Dad and your dream to visit Berlin). After that we explored the festival grounds and got a nice waffle with nutella and whipped cream as a little bedtime snack.
Friday morning we were a little less aggressive than most and arrived at the festival at 10 am (yes that is late for Oktoberfest). I was planning on attending Oktoberfest sans-dirndl (to my disappointment). But then when I entered the lobby that morning there happened to be a brown and pink dirndl sitting on the counter with a sign simply saying "Free". So of course I took it! Now that I was properly attired we finally headed to the fair. My friends and I snagged a table in Lowenbrau tent and started the day off right with some pretzels and beer. The pretzels were the best I have ever had and were even bigger than my head. Lowenbrau was definitely a more German tent which was lots of fun and made for great people watching. Things started getting more lively around noon when a band came out and we moved to Hofbrauhaus where all of our Duke friends were. It was an awesome Duke reunion and I also ran in to a ton of people from Darien. It's unreal in that tent with waitresses running around holding 10+ mugs of beer and using whistles to part the crowds. Every few minutes someone would stand up on a table which would mean they had to chug their mug (which they would) and everyone would cheer. And if you failed to finish your mug everyone would throw pieces of pretzel at you. So you have to make sure you're up to the challenge when you step up there... After that we spent the afternoon bopping around tents and then went on a few rides, played some games, and ate some sausages! Ended up in Hacker-Pschorr (another tent) at night that had an awesome band. We made a few German friends who didn't really speak english but invited us to sing and dance on their table anyways! Everyone in the tents were just incredibly carefree and happy (and drunk). I also stole a much from Hacker-Pschorr which was sweet. The security guards usually get really mad and you risk a big fine. So stealing a mug is one of the ultimate prizes of Oktoberfest (thank you thank you).
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| Hacker-Pschorr Tent at Night |
Next day we woke up early again at 7 am this time and made our way to Hofbrauhaus to try and get a table. We were herded in to a line around the side of the tent by some large German bouncers (I have much respect for them). And waited until the tent opened at 9. When the tent opened we realized that we were actually no where near the door but instead the bouncers had led us to the opposite side of the tent (presumably because we got there so late there was just no chance we were getting a table. yes 8 am is apparently late). In our confusion we ended up leading a back of German people in a sprint around the tent trying to open every door we could find (to no avail) until we finally found the other side of the tent and ran inside. By this point (3 minutes later) the tent was already packed and there was no chance of finding a table. So it was a good thing there were 70+ other Duke kids there who managed to score a few tables in the middle of the floor! We joined our friends at their table and spent the day in Oktoberfest-bliss with lots of beer, pretzels, and games. You could also order food inside the tents which turned out to be GOURMET and delicious. Isabel and I split the best mac and cheese I may have ever had. Along with the most flavorful rotisserie chicken I think I have ever had. German food kills it. Spent the afternoon doing rides and exploring the grounds again then headed back at night after dinner to soak up the Oktoberfest atmosphere in all of its glory. Though I was far too tired at that point for any rides so I let my friends do the crazy loop-de-loops in favor of some more candied nuts.
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| Hofbrauhaus Tent During the Day |
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| Lassies at Oktoberfest! |
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| From Paris to Munich |
We woke up the next morning with full bellies and hurting heads but it was all worth it. Leaving Oktoberfest was a sad day, and the only way we let ourselves leave was by vowing to return some day. So I'll be back Germany. Until next time - Prost!
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