One week ago, my plan of attack was to wear the lederhosen everyday before our trip.
I would squeeze the stiff leather over my hips before coming downstairs, then sit in my recliner and read for 20 minutes before walking into the kitchen. Liz's amused face was just the thing I needed as I dropped the pants on the kitchen floor and grabbed a box of cereal.
Today, as we prepare to leave the Kraft Hotel to walk to the wiesn (fairgrounds) for some genuine German Oktoberfesting, I am confident that I will have stretched my lederhosen enough that I can easily walk and sit without fear of ripping them apart. Either that, or I will be too drunk to know the difference.
This evening we are joining another group of people from the States who will be walking over to the fest grounds. It's a short 5 or 6 blocks from our hotel to the grounds where we will get our first glimpse of what the Germans call a "relaxed autumn-Wiesn with a lot of locals."
As we ride the elevator down to the Kraft lobby area, I catch a glimpse of us in the elevator's mirror. Liz is wearing a long green dirndl with yellow embroidery. Completing the look is a beautiful white lace apron and crop top blouse. I am wearing my black suede lederhosen with matching suspenders over a white, yellow and blue checkered shirt. A brown felt hat with a feather sits comfortably on my head.
The elevator door opens and I can hear voices and laughter coming from our group already assembled in the lobby area. For some, this will be their second or third time to the fest. But for us, who have some experience with our own La Crosse Oktoberfest, it will be an experience that will stay with us long after the beer has been drunk and the pretzels have been eaten.
Willkommen Zum Oktoberfest!
The Munich Oktoberfest -- with some six million people attending every year -- is an important part of Bavarian culture. Think Disneyland for adults. Then think this is something you have to do!
Munich's Oktoberfest began as a wedding for the Bavarian crown prince Ludwig to princess Therese from Saxony-Hildburghausen on October 12, 1810 and attended by the local community. Today the Munich beerfest traditionally takes place during the sixteen days up to and including the first Sunday in October.
There are 32 tents peppering the Oktoberfest grounds, with 14 mega sized tents gaining most of the attention. These 14 main tents are massive with seating from 4,000 -10,000 people plus outdoor beer gardens holding thousands more. Table reservations sell out up to 8 months in advance, but each tent does keep some seats open on a first-come-first-service basis. Each tent is owned by one of Germany's beer families with names like Augustiner, Hoffbrau, Hacker, Schutzen and Lowenbrau. There is even a wine tent featuring more than 15 wines grown by the Kuffler family. The only way to drink is to be seated at a table, which is why we decided to join the group from Ludus Tours (who arranged this evening as well as a trip to Neuschwanstein Castle and a bike tour around Munich).
Depending on the tent, you are exposed to a unique menu, special beer (sometimes brewed only for the festival) and music by well-known orchestras/bands. Each interior is different, as they create a unique theme -- some use blue and white banners strung across the ceiling, others use clouds and stars. Some tents are modern buildings while some have a more traditional folk or lodge type feel to them. Bavarian scenes are painted throughout and huge ovals of beer hops or greenery are everywhere. One of the more modern tents has a transparent ceiling that can be opened to let in fresh air. There are balconies overlooking the wood floor area which is dominated by a large band stage which is open on all sides. Wooden tables with people eating and drinking surround the music stage and fill the remaining floor. To the sides are the kitchens, gift shops and bathrooms.
To my surprise, the music is often traditional Bavarian (polkas and waltzes) during the day,but trend toward rock and roll or pop music including Queen, AC/DC and Van Morrison as the night gets later. In addition to serving beer and food, many tents hold special events like crossbow shooting and "beer glass lifting." (For the record, it's an incredible 16 glasses.)
The food served also changes according to which tent you're in: roasted ox (Ochsenbratere tent), pork with beer sauce served with potatoes (Schitzen tent), and fish dishes like mackerel and grilled steckerlfisch (Fischer-Vroni tent).
And here I thought Oktoberfest was all about the bratwurst and Weiner schnitzel! Whatever the food, it's important to wash it down with a good tasting beer.
Our tent, the Schottenhamel, which is known for its "Spatenbrau" beer and juicy "wiesn" chicken, is the second largest and the oldest tent going back to 1867. Back then, less than 50 farmers could squeeze into the “little wooden barn” and now the tent, plus outside seating, holds 10,000. Inside, the tent resembles a large farmers house, with streamers of green and white strung across the ceiling. Giant rings of green garland are suspended high above the crowd.
The tent is famous for being the place where the mayor of Munich traditionally taps the first Oktoberfest-barrel. If all goes according to plan, after only three hits, he will call out the popular "O'zapft is" (It’s tapped!). At that moment, twelve cannons ring out across the grounds signaling the official start of Oktoberfest letting the other tents know that beer can be served.
As luck would have it, our tent is popular with Munich’s under 21 crowd. But then, with this type of atmosphere, how can we not feel young?
We are sitting at a table with the buzz of the crowd and band playing loudly in the background. On our table is a tray with white and red radishes, a Bavarian cheese spread, smoked ham, meatballs, peppered salami sausages and bread.
Liz reaches for another meatball and says, "These are great! Have you had one?" And like that, another one quickly disappears.
"They are good, but I like the sausages and cheese." I reach across and clink beer glasses with Liz and then turn to do the same with Mark, who is sitting to my right. "Prost!"
"Prost," returns Mark, with a smile that somehow stretches around his head and back again. "Did you see those guys rolling down the hill when we were coming in? They looked like they'd been here a while."
I pop another piece of sausage into my mouth and manage to say, "I overheard someone calling it puke hill! Apparently it's pretty well known for causing drunks to clear their system. When they're passed out they're referred to as "die bierleichen" -- beer corpses. Seriously... I think I'll head out the front door when we leave!"
From below us, the Schwarzfischer band continues to belt out some awesome rock and roll songs that seem out-of-place in this German beer hall. I was expecting "roll out the barrel" not Abba's greatest hits. I step away from the table and look down on a Bavarian brass band in lederhosen playing "Dancing Queen" complete with guitars, drums, violins and a choir. The singing, which is excellent, seems to be coming from somewhere I can't see, but it wouldn't surprise me if they had different singers for different songs -- in many cases, they sound just like the original artist. As I would find out later, the Schwarzfischer (black fishermen) have been playing in this tent since 1950 and are one of Oktoberfest's longest serving musical ensembles.
At a table to my left is a bread woman (brotfrauen) carrying a basket of pretzels the size of a soccer ball. These are not the crunchy pretzels I grew up with in Wisconsin! In fact, the Bavarian Brezeln has a glossy finish to the outside of the pretzel, resulting in a bread that is crunchy on the outside and soft inside. I'm reminded of a Seinfeld episode when Kramer earnestly rehearses his single line in a Wood Allen movie -- "These pretzels are making me thirsty." And with that thought I head back to our table in search of my beer.
As if she can read my mind, our waitress or "kellner" comes to our table with another five beers, each with a generous head of foam. With a thud, she places them at our table and smiles, probably out of relief than any attempt at being friendly. Not that she ISN'T friendly -- but she has to carry all of those glasses from somewhere and deliver them to the right table. With everything going on and with everyone asking "noch ein bier, bitte," I'm amazed at her composure and ability to deliver the goods.
Our waitress is dressed in the classic "servierschurzen" which covers her all black dress. Think of a chambermaid wearing a small white apron and cap and you get the picture. Apparently the kellners in Schottenhamel Festhalle do not wear the traditional dirndl found in the other tents. That's a win for us if you ask me.
Before the night is over, we are standing on benches that line each table, holding our steins high in the air and singing with the band. For that matter, I think everyone who starts the night sitting eventually finds the liquid courage to join us for this uniquely German experience.
It's another example of what makes Munich's Oktoberfest so much fun .
When I think of Oktoberfest, I think of beer. More precisely I think of drinking from a large glass -- a liter -- of beer. Most beers that are served at Oktoberfest are either light-tasting helles, or a heavy dunkel bier (dark German lager). Some are brewed especially for the event and feature a slightly higher alcohol content of 6 to 6.5 percent.
Throughout the night, there are times when it becomes mandatory to drink a beer. For example, whenever someone raises a glass with a "prost" they start clinking glasses with everyone in their party, and after a few more beers, anyone within reach. People will respond with another "prost," or "zum wohl" (to your health).
Another mandatory drink is when the familiar sound of "ein prosit der germutlichkeit" comes from the band. It is immediately followed by "ein, zwei, drei gsufa" (one, two three drink!) and the entire beer tent follows their command. It's very similar to the singing we do at the La Crosse Oktoberfest when we shout -
"Ein prosit, ein prosit, der Gemütlichkeit
"Ein prosit, ein prosit, der Gemutlichkeit
"Eins, zwei, drei
"Zicke, zacke, zicke, zacke,
"Hoi hoi hoi!"
Given the massive number of people who attend Oktoberfest, I am amazed at the festival's ability to manage things so well. I know the festival has been going on for more than two hundred years, and it's the same every year -- but the logistics involved in pulling it off must be unbelievable.
On the other hand, Germans have always been good at logistics. And Oktoberfest is all about managing the numbers. For example, this year's festival brought 5.9 million visitors to Oktoberfest. In addition, they consumed 114 oxen, 50 calves and 7.7 million liters of beer.
The lost and found office reported finding 600 passports, 580 wallets, 320 mobile phones, 220 bags and rucksacks, 18 cameras, 230 glasses and 45 pieces of jewelry and watches. Also found were 2 wedding rings, one brand new iPhone 6 and four tickets to a sold out football match between the Bayern Munich and Hannover 96. Top finds were a dog, two dirndl dresses and two leather lederhosen. I can only ask -- anyone seen four naked people walking around?
Finally, tent security stopped an amazing 110,000 people from taking home their beer mug with them.
We were not one of them...
The cool night air feels good against my skin. Sharing a tent with 10,000 people meant there would be no need for a jacket (I can understand why so many attendees prefer the short version of lederhosen). As Mark, LuAnn, Liz and I head back to our hotel, we spot a full moon overhead in the night sky. It's another wonderful Munich evening, with a crispness to the air that makes fall so enjoyable.
Surrounding us is a carnival atmosphere of flashing lights, laughter and more music. In the distance I can see a looping rollercoaster and at the center of the wiesn -- a large Ferris wheel, its round shape highlighted by bright red and orange lights and a yellow center that slowly rotates in the dark night sky.
People continue to pour out of the beer tents, which look entirely different from the outside. We are standing outside the famous Hofbrau Festzelt with its bright white façade, offset by blue and white checkered banners running between three glass windows. A large yellow crown sits atop four huge HB's which are perched on the very top. People are lining up outside food stands selling curry wurst, kroketten (deep fried mashed potatoes), crepes with chocolate filling and of course, more pretzels.
Liz reaches for my hand and says, "That was so fun!" Her face is still flushed -- a sure sign she has been drinking or is hot. Or in this case, both.
"I agree -- once we found Mark." I look over my shoulder to see if Mark and LuAnn are still with us (which they are). "I still don't know where he went, but I'm glad we located him. If you think about 10,000 people wandering around in that beer hall -- it was like finding a needle in a haystack."
After stopping for fresh, chocolate-filled crepes we leave the wiesn grounds and follow a mass of staggering bodies down Landwehrstrasse past St. Luke's Church. I am filled with a sense of accomplishment that I hadn't felt before. It is almost like the four of us had risen to the challenge of going to the greatest beer party in the world and not only survived, but held our own among thousands in attendance.
It would be one of two nights we spent at the Oktoberfest.
The following night, we would find ourselves drawn again to the fest grounds for another round of great beer, roast duck and pretzels. What had started for me as apprehension had grown into appreciation and a growing desire to return with more friends in the near future.
Anyone want to go?
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