<![CDATA[

Munich, Germany

This is the mentality of dog owners in Europe, written by a non animal lover who thinks this mindset is weird: “I stay in hotels, I eat in restaurants, I commute on trains and buses, I go grocery shopping, I drink in smoke filled bars, I see a bathroom big enough for two! My dog is my best friend therefore he will love to come with me everywhere I go!” Weird right?

Hi ho, hi ho, its off to the Black Forest we go. The Black Forest is in south west Germany. Walt Disney got a lot of inspiration from the parks, castles and amusement parks around Europe. Some of the stories were set in the Black Forest. We entered and exited the Black Forest via train so we got to see a lot of it but think it would of had a more all encompassing feeling if we were driving through it. However, we did do a hike (more of a short stroll) up into the forest from Triberg, the little town we were staying in. The forest had a mysterious, fairytale feel about it as we walked past the moss covered rocks, around the waterfall, over the leaf covered paths and through the towering spruce trees (like pines). Supposedly there are squirrels in the forest but we never saw any. I think they are smarter than these 27year olds going on 5 year olds who left a trail of nuts for them to collect after dark.
Triberg is a one street town famous for its cuckoo clocks and at 150kg they also have the world’s biggest cuckoo – that’s one big bird. At a tiny 4 table restaurant with walls full of naked portraits we ate our first meal, specific to the Black Forest: schwarzwalder schaufele (Smoked pork shoulder with potatoes) and Wurstsalat (shredded luncheon in vinaigrette). In another restaurant, with less vaginas staring at us, we enjoyed a Black Forest cake, although it was frozen and in an Italian restaurant. It’s called that because of the specialty liquor from that region, known as Schwarzwälder Kirsch(wasser) and it is distilled from tart cherries. In Germany if it doesn’t have that ingredient it’s not legally a Black Forest cake.

We’ve arrived into the world of Oktoberfest. Although we are staying one night on the outskirts of Munich before we head in tomorrow, it’s clear as day we need traditional outfits – lederhosen and a dirndl. We weren’t going to due to the exorbitant amount of money they ask for them, even in the cheaper shops. But we can’t be the only ones there not dressed up. As it’s a public holiday in Germany tomorrow we had 3 hours to find these two outfits before the shops shut. What a mission. Dave’s was somewhat easier, red or blue checkered shirt with leather lederhosen in different lengths. For me, I think I tried on every single one of the few hundred Dirndl dresses available with limited sizes left (I was after size midget). We ended up getting kicked out of the store after they’d well and truly closed but we have our traditional wear!
Accommodation options this time of the year in Munich itself is either really expensive or sold out months ago. To stay in a tent in ‘tent city’ it would have been $150 a night if we were stupid enough to stay in the freezing cold and rain. We were thankful to have found a local’s house on AirBnB in the heart of Munich. For $100 per night Dave and I will share a single bed but at least it’s central, clean and warm.

OKTOBERFEST – WOW! It’s like one big costume party in beer tents with some big enough to hold 11,000 people with the best food I’ve ever tasted. Sure enough 90% of people all ages, from children to the elderly are dressed in traditional German wear. Oktoberfest is nothing like I’d expected. It far, far exceeded all expectations. The atmosphere was intoxicating. Maybe we’re getting old but it was more of an overall experience rather than just about the beer.

On the first day (out of 4) we got to the Löwenbräu tent at about 2pm and spent the afternoon with a table of Swiss guys. We were fortunate to get onto a table, as it’s packed at 8am. The most depressing thing is finding a seat. It’s next to impossible without a reservation. It can take an hour to find a table, walking around aimlessly from tent to tent trying to find a seat and if you find one chances are you’ll only have it for a few hours before the reservation comes. For us, it’s long enough to drink a few steins and eat some food before changing the pace and wandering the 103 acres of entertainment.

On the second day we arrived earlier, 12pm. We tried in three tents to find a table with two spare seats. Half the battle is getting into the tents before the doors are closed with the tent at maximum capacity. Each of the tents have their own beer, a live brass band and decorated theme. Only beer brewed within the Munich city limits are allowed tents within the Oktoberfest grounds; so no Double Brown tent… We were seated in the Hofbräu-Festzelt tent, which holds nearly 10,000 people and the table we were sitting at happened to be behind a Kiwi guy who we watched the Americas cup race with, a few weeks ago in a hostel on the French Riviera. What are the odds of that! There are 35 tents here, 15 of them are giant tents each holding between 5-11 thousand people. It’ll be a hard afternoon to beat; spending the afternoon with 10 kiwis was pretty awesome. What I love most about Oktoberfest is everyone is happy, just glowing from the inside out. Everywhere you look there’s people (6million to be precise) smiling, dancing, drinking, eating, laughing or singing to the same German song. Somehow it just works even with nearly 7 million litres of beer consumed over the 16 days there isn’t too much chaos. Even the ladies bathrooms, where you’d think the queues would take ages, only took 15 minutes max with a big German lady with a whistle herding people through the 1,500 toilets around the grounds.

The food is really something else. You would think the quality would drop with these numbers but its simply amazing. Munich’s best chefs come to work in the tents. To name just a few of the German foods that are served to you at the tables are: pork knuckles, Wiesn-Hendl which is half a chicken (half a million are served over 16days), giant Brez’n (pretzel) and of course bratwurst which can be half a metre in length. The service is exceptional. The beer maids each carrying up to 19 (the record) steins of beer, each weighing 3kg, are always there to serve you. I’d have thought you’d need to tip huge amounts to keep them coming back but that simply is not true.

Oktoberfest is the world’s largest fair. To the locals it’s called “die Wies’n”, after the name of the fairgrounds. It started in 1810, as a wedding feast honouring the union of Bavarian royalty. The royal shindig took place in the same Theresa Meadow as it was held in today. Its only been cancelled two dozen times due to war over the last few hundred years. As expected the beer tents take a lot of the space but most of it looks exactly like a fair, a show day or Dreamworld. I have never seen so many roller coasters and amusement rides. I lost count at 80 rides – It really is epic. We went on just the one roller coaster as they are super duper expensive.
The smells of a fair are out of this world; candy floss, popcorn, hot roasted nuts; it just makes you melt. From beer to candy floss. Dave’s happy and I’m happy. It must have been invented by a man and a woman – something for everyone. Even the kids have their own day and their own rides.

“Its all in the bow fact #369: One thing I learnt the hard way, but did get a lot of attention for, is where to wear the bow on the apron of the dirndl. One day I was single, the next I was a virgin by the third day I was taken! Isn’t that the way it goes anyway? Ha ha”

On the third day we arrived really early, at 8am. By 9am we were allowed in however the first beer wasn’t served until 10am. By 10am the tent with over 10,000 people was at maximum capacity and full until dinner time. Saturday is their busiest day so we knew we had to get in early. I just can’t believe how fast it filled up. We were at a table with 10 Germans and Americans until the reservation came at 2:30pm.
By that time of the day there is no way we could even look for another table. We didn’t mind, we had had the best day so far and it was long enough. Whether you like beer (Dave) or don’t much care for it (me) you can’t help but have the most memorable time. And yes, I did drink beer and no I didn’t have a hip flask of lemonade… Well three of the days I didn’t!

Is it even possible to say the fourth day was the best? All other days we have been during the day. Seeing it was Oktoberfest’s final night we headed out at about 5pm. It took us three tents before giving in and heading back to the international tent – where the friendly expats will always find you a seat. Tonight we were at a table with what felt like representatives from every country in the European Union. To my pleasure, the band succumbed to 80s music and rock rather than the traditional brass bands. (Makes singing along much easier than songs in German). Four hours of the whole tent of thousands, singing and dancing with complete strangers around them- on the benches. It was amazing. The smiles were contagious! We have met so many fantastic people from all around the world, all ages and nationalities with one thing in common: the love of a good time.

To end Oktoberfest 2013, the sparklers came out lighting up the tent before we sang “Ein Protist” (cheers or good health) and raising our glasses to drink for one last time.

]]>