OKTOBERFEST!

Need I say more?

Totally kidding! Of course I must say more! OKTOBERFEST!!! This place was CRAAAAAAAZY! If you are alive and have had beer, you are probably aware of the premise of Oktoberfest, but you probably don’t completely understand the magnitude of this celebration.

Oktoberfest is a two-ish week long celebration celebrating the 1810 marriage of Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese. Their wedding reception was so awesome they decided to celebrate again the next year, and we are 200 hundred years later still partying. Of course the focus has shifted slightly from royal nuptials to beer consumption, and there are a few more guests, approximately 6 million people visit every year. Those in the know call Oktoberfest der Wiesn after the “field” where the festival is held every year, Theresienweise.

At der Wiesn there are 14 different beer tents. I use the term tent loosely. A more accurate description of the big tents we entered is a giant barn typical of a state fair. These humongous spaces are filled with hundreds of tables with seating for thousands of people. The beer maids execute a carefully choreographed dance to bring beers and food to all the patrons. As far as I know, the beer only comes in litre mugs. I struggled lifting my mug when it was full, and have the bruise on my hand to prove it, but these Iron Maidens could carry 7 full mugs at a time. Talk about a workout plan. To get service, you must be sitting, and to be sure of a seat, you must make a reservation. Without a reservation, the seats are first come, first serve, and most people don’t vacate their seats once they have them. On the weekends, without a reservation, you are unlikely to get a seat after 10am and on weekdays after 3pm. Reservations must be made in person at the tent where you would like to sit, or by mail, fax or email. They must also be made for 10 (a full table). We did not have a reservation.

We opted to go in the middle of the week to avoid the crowds and increase the likelihood of finding a seat. Our day of choice was Wednesday the 3^rd because the weather forecast was in the 70s, and it was supposed to be sunny all day. Unfortunately, Wednesday was German reunification day, a national holiday. Working on the assumption that the holiday would mean weekend crowds, we left Regensburg early to arrive in Munich early. We biked to the train station and passed only 1 person on the way. She took one look at our outfits and asked if we were going to der Wiesn. After momentarily blanking, I remembered that ja meant yes, and responded accordingly. Most important, this exchange confirmed the slang term for Oktoberfest.

Arriving at the train station, we found it extra crowded, despite the lack of people in the rest of the city. Apparently, everyone was heading to Munich. We bought our tickets and elbowed our way toward the edge of the platform. Even though we managed to get on the train, we couldn’t find any seats, so we were forced to stand in the vestibule by the doors. Every stop added more people to our vestibule, and by the time we reached Munich, there wasn’t room to swing a cat. Furthermore, because so many people were trying to get on the train, it took much longer to travel, so we ended up standing in the same place for 2 hours. The worst part about the journey was the maddeningly cute couple standing behind me. They were to loudest, wettest kissers ever. It was like water torture. But as our vestibule became more crowded, the portly German gentlemen drinking at 10am managed to drown them out (mostly).

Hoping off the train in Munich, we quickly entered the subway system, jumped on another packed train, and rode to der Wiesn. And it was amazing! Sensory overload!


Here's a link to more Photos from Oktoberfest!