After regretfully seeing very little of beautiful Austria, I was once again in Munich meeting up with my college classmate Jonas, who just happened to be moving into a new apartment and getting ready to start his new job in the city, and was nice enough to let me stay with him. The timing couldn’t have been better to enjoy a day as a true Bavarian. While I was lacking the traditional clothing (Liederhosen), the hat you see in the photo made up for it I think.
Oktoberfest is held on a huge fair ground where carnival rides and booths selling everything from giant cookies to giant sausages to giant pretzels to giant hats (like mine) are scattered all around between each brewery’s “tent.” The tents are actually huge buildings that house a completely different atmosphere than the theme park-like environment outside. Each tent is filled with elaborate decorations unique to each brewery. Hundreds of tables fill the open room with a traditional Bavarian band smack dab in the center. The band takes its fair share of water, er, beer breaks as the crowd serenades the local cheers-ing tune. Teens to Grandfathers dance on top of the tables as waitresses and waiters carry out impossible numbers (I saw someone carrying 10) of 1-litre jugs full of beer to thirsty patrons. The smell of fresh pretzels and all kinds of meat make the whole experience easy on the senses. I was even singing in German by the end of the day…at least it sounded that way to me!
Ein Prost!