Sunday 29 September 2013

GERMANY OKTOBERFEST | Munich Sept 28,2013 (Post Danube Cruise)



After we disembarked from our cruise, we drove to Munich to have an Oktoberfest Lunch at one of the breweries. 
....that is all we were told.
We were dropped off on a street corner and then had to walk through a forest (Munich has forests everywhere in the city)



Then after a bit of a walk we see .... a beer garden





We went inside the building there for our lunch.






The Menu:  Bavarian pork roast in dark beer sauce, cole slaw and dumpling potatoes.  Apple Strudel for dessert.


This is where we had lunch.
Augustiner-Festhalle – Considered by many locals to be the best tent, due to the fact it sells the favourite local brew, Augusiner from individually tapped wooden kegs rather than stainless steel vats used by the other tents.(Wikipedia)


We had a great time, but very different from what we expected.  No oom-pah band or singing - very quiet and calm.
But after lunch, our guide said we were going on a walking tour. ....a tour?  where?




So we went out of the building, through another forest and across the street...





And then going around the corner ....  wow ...we were at a midway    ...who knew?

Check out all the people.  (mostly young people dressed in traditional dress -Lederhosen and Dirndls)

The yellow gurney is used by emergency medics to pick up drunk or injured patrons.  We saw many of these yellow stretchers on our very short visit.  These drunk patrons are often called "Bierleichen" (German for "beer corpses")  

 This midway is at a large park called the Theresienwiese.  The name of the site is derived from the name of Princess Therese of Saxe Hildbrughausen, the wife of Crown Prince Ludwig 1.  Their wedding took place on Theresienwiese in 1810. Since then, Oktoberfest is celebrated every year to commemorate this event during the end of September and the first week of October

Oktoberfest has around 6 million visitors a year.










~ * ~

The next day, we went to downtown Munich to see the famous Hofbrauhaus, and to see how Oktoberfest is celebrated there .



Oktoberfest is also celebrated at Breweries, tents, beer gardens and pubs all over the city, but the best known is the Hofbrauhaus.

One of the oldest beer breweries and most likely to the most famous
 in the world is Hofbrauhaus in Munich. In this historical building you
 find a large hall for evening drinking parties. The restaurant and bar
areas have painted ceilings, wooden furniture, a band playing 
Bavarian music and  beer in 1 litre pints. 












A beautiful old copper sink beside the collection
 of beer steins of the guilds/clubs that had meetings
in the Hofbrauhaus over the centuries.



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