Oppulent Oktoberfest

After the adrenalin fuelled week in the Dolomites we loaded up Hilda (our 9 seater VW Van) and drove north out of the mountains and into Austria. After a few unexpected traffic jams we dropped off the car (just in the nick of time) and jumped on a train bound for Munich. We had booked an apartment for 6 people all the way back in February and over the next 7 months the number interested in staying had risen to 12. There would be people coming and going all week, which would no doubt add to the enjoyment. In the end we had the original group of Kel, Adam, Ray, Rach, Pasquale, and I, plus extras Cardo, Lisa (Adam’s girlfriend), Chantelle, Sarah, Avik, and Rahul. All except Lisa and Sarah were friends from university, Sarah being a friend from Geelong hospital and Lisa being Adam’s new girlfriend from Mildura. Some of the group were arriving midweek, when some were leaving, so there would always be someone new to share a stein with.
Six nights accommodation meant five days to experience Oktoberfest and the best Munich could offer. Oktoberfest, essentially an enormous carnival which includes massive tents for the consumption of specially brewed beer, is an age old Bavarian tradition which started as a wedding celebration for a Bavarian king. Munich loved it so much the king decided to do it yearly and then moved it into September for the better weather. A massive park is converted every year in mid-September, and with typical German efficiency the festival runs for just over 2 weeks. Contrary to popular opinion, much more area is taken up by rides, food outlets and other amusements, and during the day a family, carnival atmosphere reins. Children abound (even in the beer tents) and prices are very reasonable, except for beer which sits at 9 Euro 40 cents per stein all day.The plan was to visit a different beer tent each day, led by the Oktoberfest veterans Ray, Rach and Adam. What ensued can only be described as thoroughly enjoyable bedlam. Who ever knew that drinking beer by the litre, in a huge tent while singing German songs played by a brass band could be so much fun. Each day was essentially the same and followed the following formula. Whoever rose the earliest would head off on the 15 min walk and secure a table at a tent of their choice (this had to be done before midday or there would be no tables left). They would be joined by the rest in dribs and drabs throughout the early afternoon until we had 10-12 people squeezed around the table, all drinking litre steins of tasty Bavarian beer. The afternoon would progress into the evening with much frivolity, dancing on seats, eating of chicken and bratwurst, the occasional ride outside and much clinking of beer steins. Eventually everyone in the entire tent would be dancing to the brass band and attempting to sing along in German. The fun would conclude at the civil hour of around 10:30, then after nights sleep we’d start all over again. Apart from a possible swine-flu outbreak on the last day (where at least 6 people went down with a mysterious flu-like illness) the week was a complete success.There was at least a couple of thousand photos taken of the week so these are a quick sample. Thanks to the photographers Cardo, Chantelle, Ray and Adam, who managed to get at least 5 good photos from every night. Photo credits to Cardo for the above images.