There are basically three things I’d like to communicate with this post.
1. Munich is cold and snowy.
Munich
Munich’s most delicious season
Look what opened today! Munich is already a fairytale-adorable city; toss in Christmas markets all over the place and it gets so cute it makes your cheeks hurt. I celebrated the start of my favorite time of year with some roasted chestnuts (which is probably the most Thanksgiving-like food I’ll eat all day). You can read about … Read more
Autumn at the Dult
Sure, Oktoberfest is long over, but that doesn’t mean Munich has lost that carnival feeling. As I’ve said before, you’d be hard-pressed to visit this city when there wasn’t some sort of festival (beer-oriented or not) going on. A couple weeks ago it was the Auer Dult, a thrice-yearly event involving rides, carnival food, and lots and lots of kitchenware.
Historisches Wiesn: Oktoberfest’s 200th anniversary celebration
UPDATE: The historical section of Oktoberfest was such a hit that it will be back in 2011, rebranded as the Oide Wiesn. Nostalgia and beer for everyone!
Entrance to Oktoberfest in general is free, but this year, in honor of the 200th anniversary of the first Oktoberfest, visitors were offered the privilege of paying for entry to a small section of the wiesn. This section promised something special: old-timey fun.
Read moreHistorisches Wiesn: Oktoberfest’s 200th anniversary celebration
Mad Schuhplattler
Schuhplattler at 200th anniversary Oktoberfest from zurika on Vimeo. In honor of the 200th anniversary of Oktoberfest, a historical area has been set up next to the regular old tents and rides. It costs €4 to get into the historical area, but that €4 includes all kinds of entertainment, such as fancy historical whip-cracking and … Read more
Oktoberfest: where to pee
This blog has been getting an amusingly high number of hits this week from people googling phrases such as “where to pee Oktoberfest” (second only to those searching for “Oktoberfest sex”). Don’t let your fear of inadequate toilets keep you away, folks: there are plenty of places to pee at Oktoberfest.
What your dirndl is telling the world
Soon after acquiring my dirndl, I was taught the rules for tying the apron. The strings are long, and usually you wrap them all the way around your waist and then tie them in a bow in the front. But not just anywhere in the front. No, no, no, this is important stuff, so listen … Read more
Eating Oktoberfest: a vegetarian survival guide
If there’s one thing you don’t see very often at Oktoberfest, it’s a vegetable.
Navigating the menu at an Oktoberfest tent is not always easy for vegetarians. In here, a plate of sliced-up sausage qualifies as a salad. But even at those tents named after the animal they are best at cooking, one can find at least a couple of meatless dishes. Bavarian vegetarian food is heavy, creamy, cheesy, and infinitely starchy: actually, not such bad attributes for a meal that’s accompanying many liters of beer. Now that you’ve found a seat in one of the tents, here are some of the vegetarian dishes you are most likely to find on the menu:
Ask the expat: Oktoberfest duds and tent tips
I’m searching for an outfit for Oktoberfest this coming September, and I was wondering if you could point me in the right direction. Should I even dress up? I don’t want to offend anyone. If it is cool to wear an outfit, where do you recommend I get one? Is it stupid for me to … Read more
Checking in on Munich’s art students
My there was a lot going on in Munich this weekend. Drag queens were racing through Marienplatz. Anime aficionados were living it up in the English Garden. I managed to sleep through the Kocherlball for the third year in a row.
Sunday’s cool weather lured me out to see the student art show at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste. Munich’s art academy consists of two main buildings, one old and one new, and getting to wander around in them was half of the fun to me.
As expected for a student show, there was definitely a fair number of duds on display, but a lot of delightful pieces could be found amongst the various exhibition rooms. I was especially impressed with how many works really made me laugh (with them, not at them). Modern German art isn’t exactly known for displaying a sense of humor.
The lawn of the Old Building was spotted with boards for one to poke one’s head through and be photographed. (Do you know what I’m talking about? Why is there no actual word for these things?) Collectively titled “Extreme Situations of Human Existence,” these particular head-cutout-boardy-thingies allowed you to try on the role of combat soldier, 1000-pound man, or crucified Jesus, among other fun stuff.