Oktoberfest

Now for the main event of my trip to Munich… Oktoberfest! I’m actually writing this as I pull out of the train station for my ride from Munich to Marseille.* I can’t believe my week in Germany is already done, but I truly had one of the most perfect weeks (and especially one of the best weekends) of my life!

First a little history/information about Oktoberfest for those of you who, like me, like to know these things. The tradition started in 1810 when Ludwig I married his wife, Therese, and they invited all of Munich to come eat and drink to celebrate. For 202 years now, Oktoberfest has been celebrated at the Thieresenwiese (Theresa’s meadow) and is now the largest festival in the world. There are six big breweries in Munich: Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner, and Spatenbräu. Each of these breweries participates in the parades and has a giant beer tent/hall on the actual grounds of the festival.

On the grounds, you have the main event(s), which are the festively decorated beer halls and their corresponding beer gardens. There are also stands where you can purchase all kinds of food and souvenirs, such as the Lebkuchenherzen (gingerbread hearts, which you wear around your neck). In addition, there are lots of different brightly-lit themed carnival rides.

Finally, because I was lucky enough to attend Oktoberfest’s opening weekend, I was able to attend two parades, a smaller, exclusively Bavarian parade on Saturday and a larger parade on Sunday which featured participants from all over Germany, as well as other places with German heritage.

Now on to my own individual Oktoberfest experience! :)

On Saturday, Niclas’ parents came to stay in Munich, so we had a nice big group to celebrate! While they went off on a tour of the Viktualienmarkt, Irene and I went to the smaller opening parade. It was pretty cold, but we were lucky to get really close and that it only rained a little. After the parade ends, the Mayor opens the festival by tapping the first barrel of beer with a hammer, and people migrate en masse from the parade route to the festival grounds. We met up with a couple of Irene’s friends by chance, and the four of us attempted to go to the festival. I say “attempted” because at this point, it started pouring. As in, I was about as wet as if I’d just stepped out of the shower. We tried to walk around a little bit, but it was so crowded, cold, and wet that it didn’t turn out well. This would have been disheartening had it been my only chance to see, but luckily, we would have two more days! So we took the opportunity to climb the tower of the church of St. Paul, which not many people know about (danke Sonja for the recommendation!) where you can get a great view of the Thierenwiese.

Have a look yourself! It’s huge!

On the left you can see the rides, and on the right the giant beer halls.

We went home, warmed up with some tea and lunch, and set out to meet Niclas and his parents for a little walk around Munich. I got to see a lot of places I’d seen eight years ago, and I remembered them so well!

the Theatinerkirche and a war memorial

the Opera and a statue of a Bavarian king

(I forget which one; if someone wants to tell me I'll update!)

the Town Hall in the Marienplatz (that tower houses the Glockenspiel)

Niclas and Irene then cooked a wonderful risotto for the three of us and his parents and we had a lovely meal. Afterward, I met up with Sophie, Irene’s sister, who would take care of me for the next few days as I stayed in her parents’ home in their town outside of Munich. Of course, Sophie, Oswald, and Beate (Irene’s parents) gave me just about the warmest welcome you can have. I loved getting to spend time in their home again!

On Sunday, we had a BEAUTIFUL day. Just gorgeous. All of us (Sophie, Irene, Niclas, Niclas’ parents, Sonja, and myself) met up to go to the bigger parade. We arrived JUST as the parade was starting, we were on the second row, and within a few minutes, I had a prime first row position! In the parade, bands play Bavarian marching music and wear traditional clothes (Dirndl and Lederhosen) from their regions. It was fascinating to see the variety in clothes and customs!

a Hofbräu float

one of the traditional Bavarian marching bands

a group depicting the tradition of the Maypole

Augustiner is one of the big Munich breweries.

Afterward, we headed over to the Oktoberfest. But first, I will reveal to you an answer to the cliffhanger from my post from Thursday evening. (I know you’ve been on the edge of your seat!) The very generous loan from Sonja was a Dirndl to wear for the festivities! She had the sweetest idea that I could borrow one of hers because she has two. Luckily it fit well and it was beautiful, and I fit right in with everyone else! 

Danke schön, Sonja!

Also note that the other three ladies have their aprons tied on the right
and mine's on the left - you tie it on the right if you're committed to
someone and on the left if you're single!
(Cue "Single Ladies" - remake in a left-tied Dirndl, anyone?)

On opening weekend, it’s wayyyy too crowded to get entry into a beer hall, but we were extremely lucky to be able to get a seat at the beer garden at the Hofbräu hall for our lunch, which was fantastic. We all shared and it was wonderful! It was a beautiful day to be outside.

Hofbräu hall

This is actually Radler, which is a mixture of beer and lemonade,

which Sophie and I shared.

(Note: There is only one size of beverage (be it beer or Radler)

at Oktoberfest: 1 liter! This is why we shared.) 

with Sophie at the beer garden

Thank God that I was with Germans who know

what's good and know what to order! :)

After walking around a bit more on the perfect day with a beautiful Bavarian sky (white and blue, just like the flag), we took a walk in the English Garden. Here's some pictures from both!

some of the rides... look at that sky!

the Ferris wheel

in the gardens that belong to the Residenz, 

the kings' winter palace in Munich

in the English Garden

After our walk, Sophie and I headed home to have dinner with her parents. We had bread dumplings, goulache, and fennel, which were all a-mazing.

Seriously, be jealous because this was delicious!

I feel so blessed to have a friend’s family who welcomes me so and with whom I can feel at home. They even made fennel specifically because Irene told them I hadn’t tried it, and made my tea just as I like it without me even asking (green tea, not too hot), also because Irene had told them. We had a wonderful evening of conversation about all sorts of things; they all have so much cultural information to share with me and it really is just so wonderful for me.

Finally, on Monday, we had our last Oktoberfest day, and what a day! Sophie and I left to meet up with everyone in Munich, and she even braided my hair on the train so I could look extra Bavarian! It was so nice to get to know Sophie better; she’s spent two years in the States and we have a lot to talk about. She is so sweet and took really good care of me. Danke schön, Sophie!

We met up with Irene, Niclas, and some of Irene’s friends from university in order to get a table in an actual beer hall (quite a feat). We were lucky and got a table in the first one we went to. The atmosphere in the halls is extremely festive; there are so many people, and so much to eat and drink, and music (we were right by the band), and everyone is instant best friends! Near us, we met some people from Norway, Switzerland, and, of course, Bavaria. (I was definitely the one in our area who came from furthest away, though!) We spent seven hours total in the hall, sharing our food, laughing, singing, dancing (on the benches, NOT on the tables! Not allowed!), and generally having pretty much the best.time.ever. Both Irene’s and Niclas’ parents joined us a couple hours in and they were singing and dancing right along with us!

the Paulaner hall where we got a table

inside the hall

with Niclas

the parents

pretty sisters

dancing!

(Click for video!)

Niclas and Irene :)

One of the Bavarian men near us, who had spoken some English to me (“Texas is almost the same as Bavaria; you must join in!”) tapped my arm near the end of the evening and presented me with a traditional gingerbread heart. He told me “This is a gift from me to you; this is a gift from Bavaria to Texas.” Of course I was delighted and put it on while saying danke schön, and he told me “You are so lovely, but so far away,” in a sort of dreamy voice. Irene and her mom were watching and we all thought it was just the sweetest thing!

The gingerbread heart, which says “dream woman” or
“woman of my dreams,” perfectly completed my Oktoberfest outfit.

After we left the hall (a good seven hours after we got there!), we walked around the festival at night and even rode the Ferris wheel and got an amazing view of the grounds and the city. It was a perfect ending to a perfect day, a perfect weekend, and a perfect week.

Oktoberfest by night

I truly have had an amazing time. Even though I’m excited to begin my adventure in France, I’m going to miss Germany and my friends/family there. I love Bavaria and the warm, embracing, jovial culture that I’ve found in my time there. This week was incredible; Irene took care of every single detail (as she does best; she even packed me a lunch for my train ride today!) and I have been in vacation mode to the extreme. No phone, no watch, no keys, no planning, just having fun, which has been amazing because starting tomorrow (Wednesday), I will be on my own in a world of new, trying to set up my life. This week was the perfect beginning to my stay in Europe. (We even had fantastic weather all but one day! Beate told me that there is a saying in German that says “When angels travel, there is always good weather.” I love it!) Seriously, try to imagine a perfect, interesting, beautiful week and the most welcoming, generous, friendly people in your mind – my week was better than that! I kept thinking throughout my week how blessed I am. The past couple of years have been rough, but I am so grateful for everything that’s happened to me, both bad and good, and all of the decisions I’ve made that led me to a point where, for probably only this one time in my life, instead of working in September I’m taking day trips to lakeside castles and Austria and experiencing the real Oktoberfest in Munich. My life is fantastic. I have no idea how to thank Irene, her amazing family, and her wonderful friends for my week, so I will just say one more time, DANKE SCHÖN! I’ll be back, Germany!

*Which was on Tuesday 25 Sep; delay in posting due to lack of Internet.