In anticipation of Oktoberfest
Ah, our first Oktoberfest as residents of Munich is just around the corner. You can tell it’s the season due to all the stores trying to get you to buy tracht (traditional Bavarian clothing, ie dirndls and lederhosen) these days. It’s in all the shop windows.
My one previous trip to Oktoberfest was about 10 years ago. I don’t remember it too vividly (despite not having a drop to drink there). I came to Munich from where I was living in eastern Germany to meet up with my parents, who planned their vacation specifically to coincide with Oktoberfest. I remember going on some rides (and wondering who came up with the brilliant idea to combine rides with excessive drinking) and walking through the stalls selling gingerbread hearts, chocolate-covered fruit, and hats shaped like beer steins. We poked our heads into a beer tent, which was packed full of people enjoying a big oompa band. My dad was dying to find a place to sit down and have a beer, but was sadly overruled by me (dislike of crowds) and my mom (who was beginning to come down with a stomach virus).
Our guest room (and the fold-out couch) is going to get a lot of use in the coming weeks, and we are thrilled to see all the friends who are coming to visit. That said, I’m a little apprehensive about the Oktoberfest schedule that I’ve got laid out before me: between going with visitors and with local friends, I’m planning to spend at least 5 days in beer tents alone. Don’t get me wrong – I do love drinking with friends. And I can’t wait to have an excuse to wear my dirndl. What I don’t love is crowds, smokey hot crowded tents, waiting in lines to get into smokey hot crowded tents, and big masses of hot sweaty people. It remains to be seen whether I will love Oktoberfest or hate it. Either way, I’ll be sure to blog all about it.
For those looking for Oktoberfest information, here’s a handy downloadable map of the Wies’n which shows where the various tents are located (for those of you lucky enough to have reservations at tents). The official Oktoberfest site is here. You can also find general schedule information here. The opening parade is Saturday morning, and then o’zapft is!
