For those of you who have attended an "Oktoberfest" in the states, pssssh. We've been attending the Leavenworth Oktoberfest for the past couple of years, and while probably as close to authentic as it could get, it still doesn't even hold a candle to the
Wies'n. We missed the first two weekends of the Munich festivities due to our trip back home for a couple of very important and special weddings (we love you, Richens and Kellys). However, fear not, we were able to arrive back in Munich just in time for the closing festivities and enjoy our first true Bavarian Wies'n.
Once again, Ryan's aunt's sister's family (what a mouthful) came through big for us. Christine and David offered us two tickets to join them in the Lowenbrau tent with their food & wine tour. To kick of the tour, they were taking the group to the closing day of Oktoberfest, Sunday, October 5. We gladly accepted their offer, put on our brand new Lederhosen and Dirndl, and hopped on the U-Bahn (underground) to the Wies'n.
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Dressed the part, ready to go |
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Cheesin' up the U-Bahn |
We arrived two hours before we were supposed to meet the group to take in the whole fairgrounds. And it truly is a fairgrounds. There are rides, games, food vendors, beer gardens, "tents" (more like huge, wood buildings), and more. We made a lap of the whole scene, took a ride on a surprisingly fun roller coaster, and then headed for the Lowenbrau tent.
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Bar + Carousel = Awesome |
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Foot long! |
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Ryan and a few people from our table decided to ride Skyfall after a few Maß |
It is hard to put into words what this experience was like. We were seated at our reserved table, which is the only way to get into a tent on a busy weekend day. Unless you arrive at the crack of dawn to wait in line for the opening, the major halls are typically so full that it is difficult to find a seat. And if you don't have a seat at a table, they will not serve you. We were lucky to have all the work done for us!
Throughout the course of the afternoon, there was much beer drinking (obviously), eating of giant pretzels and chicken, standing on benches/tables and singing, and of course, some amazing people watching. After about four hours, the tour group took off and we were left to our own devices. We stuck around for another two to three hours, ordering more beer and making friends with random strangers to find a new table to sit at.
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Lowenbrau tent, from the floor. We were seated in one of the balconies. |
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View from our table. |
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Herr Boyd |
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The band came up to our section to play 'Amazing Grace' |
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And then proceeded to serenade the section |
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Frau Menne |
By the end of the day, we were completely worthless human beings (are you surprised?). We stopped at a pizza place on our way home to grab some food, and needless to say, I couldn't even remember paying for dinner. And let's be honest, at this point, Ryan couldn't even walk straight so he was no help to me. The next morning, being the accountant that I am, I counted our remaining money and compiled a list of all of our charges from the previous day to determine if we paid. This is one of our favorite restaurants that we frequent often, so I am happy to report that we did pay our bill - phew!
Mark your calendars: next year's Oktoberfest is September 19 through October 4! Our guest room is filling up fast so make your plans early!
Until the next post!
xoxo
L & R