I know my beer loving friends are salivating for this one. Here's a pre-emptive sorry for NicBunny, but I suppose if I got to Matty's mecca first it's only fair I got to yours first too. Heheh...
Munich is about an hour south of Regensburg where we were staying. We headed down after breakfast with no real agenda nor knowing where the actual festival was. All I had was a sheet of paper from Doris with a name, a strange German word, and a number that we needed to call when we found the strange German word. So I plugged the city center into the navi and we were on the way. Surprisingly das autobahn was smooth sailing up until we got into the city itself. A side note for car lovers - on the way there we passed a Maserati and oh god was it hot, even if it wasn't doing 185... (name that song)
When we were within a kilometer of the city center we started looking for parking. Paco was driving and checking out some of the nice cars on the road when we almost got hit by an SUV... an SUV pulling out of a parking spot. After realizing this we stopped cursing the other driver, let him pass and took his spot. We managed to park for €4 all day in the center of Munich... Doris was very impressed.
Our walkabout started as Paco was on the phone so Lili and I just picked a direction and started going. We had no idea where to go. I overheard a couple of kids speaking English, one being German (I could hear the accent) and asked which way to go. Turns out we were headed in the right direction. Eventually we came to the main market square which had a sweet looking Rothaus and of course nice churches. After some very simple sight seeing and a stop for a snack we decided it was time to head to the mecca of beer lovers and drunks alike.
Stopping for directions a few times we eventually found ourselves in the right area. We knew we were in the right direction when we saw a cop carrying a very inebriated man, two kids carrying their passed out friend, and a gaggle of stumbly bumblies... then we made it to the Oktoberfest proper. I really didn't know what to expect. All I could really think about was beerfest. Kind of a lower key big hall with a bunch of people playing drinking games.
Turns out I was wrong. It's more of a carnival with beer tents larger than football fields. Of course there's games, food, various vendors of paraphernalia. Amazingly some little kids wandering around. Even the Löwenbräu brewery... although it could have been another tent... but the lion was rotating on top of the tower. After wandering around for a while taking in the atmosphere we found the building with the German word on it. We got out front and noted a massive line in front. We had heard previously from Doris about friends that show up at 7 in the morning to get let into these drink halls by 3pm... we call the number and it goes to voice mail. By this time Paco and Lili were quite thirsty so we hung out outside for a few minutes trying to score a beer for them. Unfortunately you had to be sitting at a table to get a beer. Of course every table was packed.
We called the number 1 more time and got through. Meet at S-3, 5 minutes. Elkie was the name. A person none of us had ever met. She came out, pushed her way through the line and eventually made her way to our group and asked if we were the people. Indeed we were... So she pushes back through the line with us in tow and some guy cuts me off trying to sneak in, in my place. The bouncer stopped him at the door and I pushed him out of the way to be grabbed by the bouncer as he didn't want to let a third person in. Elkie steps in and I get passed through the side door which is then slammed in the face of the waiting masses.
Inside the place was absolutely packed. The din of the conversations was outstanding as the band seemed to be taking a break. However, as soon as the band started up it got ridiculous. When we got in everyone was sitting down on their benches at their tables drinking their giant beers. When the band started though, it was on. Basically the place exploded in noise as everyone got up on their bench and started dancing, clapping, singing... totally sweet. Of course there were guys in leiderhosen and girls in those hot dresses ;-)... there was even a crazy Italian lady who grabbed me and started dancing with me. Friends were very easily made inside the tent... at least with everyone but the wait staff. The waitresses take Zero flack from the guys. Any inappropriate comments/touching is followed up with a shove, slap, or even a punch.
As we had a pending engagement in Regensburg we left about an hour early and made the trek back to the car. On the way out I showed Paco the most efficient way to smuggle a beer mug out of the building. I figured we would pass by the tables outside and I could snatch one off of a table as a souvenir... although what I would do with such a massive mug I don't know. On the way out the bouncer was beating some severely intoxicated guy that wanted to get in, but we made it through safely. However, I failed to get a mug since we took a side path out. Lili and Paco managed to get their souvenirs though. After a 40 minute walk following my nose we found the car where we left it with no tickets, which was awesome. A fast paced drive brought us back to Regensburg and the Saturday night discotech. I do suggest a visit to the Oktoberfest for NicBunny, Matty get on that... and anyone else who wants to experience what Germany is really all about.
Munich is about an hour south of Regensburg where we were staying. We headed down after breakfast with no real agenda nor knowing where the actual festival was. All I had was a sheet of paper from Doris with a name, a strange German word, and a number that we needed to call when we found the strange German word. So I plugged the city center into the navi and we were on the way. Surprisingly das autobahn was smooth sailing up until we got into the city itself. A side note for car lovers - on the way there we passed a Maserati and oh god was it hot, even if it wasn't doing 185... (name that song)
When we were within a kilometer of the city center we started looking for parking. Paco was driving and checking out some of the nice cars on the road when we almost got hit by an SUV... an SUV pulling out of a parking spot. After realizing this we stopped cursing the other driver, let him pass and took his spot. We managed to park for €4 all day in the center of Munich... Doris was very impressed.
Our walkabout started as Paco was on the phone so Lili and I just picked a direction and started going. We had no idea where to go. I overheard a couple of kids speaking English, one being German (I could hear the accent) and asked which way to go. Turns out we were headed in the right direction. Eventually we came to the main market square which had a sweet looking Rothaus and of course nice churches. After some very simple sight seeing and a stop for a snack we decided it was time to head to the mecca of beer lovers and drunks alike.
Stopping for directions a few times we eventually found ourselves in the right area. We knew we were in the right direction when we saw a cop carrying a very inebriated man, two kids carrying their passed out friend, and a gaggle of stumbly bumblies... then we made it to the Oktoberfest proper. I really didn't know what to expect. All I could really think about was beerfest. Kind of a lower key big hall with a bunch of people playing drinking games.
Turns out I was wrong. It's more of a carnival with beer tents larger than football fields. Of course there's games, food, various vendors of paraphernalia. Amazingly some little kids wandering around. Even the Löwenbräu brewery... although it could have been another tent... but the lion was rotating on top of the tower. After wandering around for a while taking in the atmosphere we found the building with the German word on it. We got out front and noted a massive line in front. We had heard previously from Doris about friends that show up at 7 in the morning to get let into these drink halls by 3pm... we call the number and it goes to voice mail. By this time Paco and Lili were quite thirsty so we hung out outside for a few minutes trying to score a beer for them. Unfortunately you had to be sitting at a table to get a beer. Of course every table was packed.
We called the number 1 more time and got through. Meet at S-3, 5 minutes. Elkie was the name. A person none of us had ever met. She came out, pushed her way through the line and eventually made her way to our group and asked if we were the people. Indeed we were... So she pushes back through the line with us in tow and some guy cuts me off trying to sneak in, in my place. The bouncer stopped him at the door and I pushed him out of the way to be grabbed by the bouncer as he didn't want to let a third person in. Elkie steps in and I get passed through the side door which is then slammed in the face of the waiting masses.
Inside the place was absolutely packed. The din of the conversations was outstanding as the band seemed to be taking a break. However, as soon as the band started up it got ridiculous. When we got in everyone was sitting down on their benches at their tables drinking their giant beers. When the band started though, it was on. Basically the place exploded in noise as everyone got up on their bench and started dancing, clapping, singing... totally sweet. Of course there were guys in leiderhosen and girls in those hot dresses ;-)... there was even a crazy Italian lady who grabbed me and started dancing with me. Friends were very easily made inside the tent... at least with everyone but the wait staff. The waitresses take Zero flack from the guys. Any inappropriate comments/touching is followed up with a shove, slap, or even a punch.
As we had a pending engagement in Regensburg we left about an hour early and made the trek back to the car. On the way out I showed Paco the most efficient way to smuggle a beer mug out of the building. I figured we would pass by the tables outside and I could snatch one off of a table as a souvenir... although what I would do with such a massive mug I don't know. On the way out the bouncer was beating some severely intoxicated guy that wanted to get in, but we made it through safely. However, I failed to get a mug since we took a side path out. Lili and Paco managed to get their souvenirs though. After a 40 minute walk following my nose we found the car where we left it with no tickets, which was awesome. A fast paced drive brought us back to Regensburg and the Saturday night discotech. I do suggest a visit to the Oktoberfest for NicBunny, Matty get on that... and anyone else who wants to experience what Germany is really all about.
3 comments:
I believe the singer is Joe Walsh. That looks like a hella good time. Actually, it's probably good you didn't steal a mug. I'm pretty sure all of your friends would try to steal it.
Yup, it is Joe Walsh and the song is Life's Been Good. Man I'm so jealous of the Oktoberfest mecca! At least I have GABF on Thursday, a day of visiting breweries on Friday, and my own 1st ever brewery party on Saturday. Woo hoo! I'll probably leave incoherent voicemails for my friends at some point :-)
I say you should have gone all crazy, started breaking beer mugs and shouting "Kristallnacht, Bitches!".
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