With the parents arriving in a few hours, we decided it would be best to revisit Oktoberfest! Might as well get all the mischief out while the parents are blissfully unaware. Ha!
Just kidding! The sun was shining, and we were engulfed in the massive tidal wave of people flowing to the festival grounds. We really had no choice except to ride the wave. We couldn't fight the flow!
By day 3, the jet lag had worn off, and we had been schooled by the locals on Oktoberfest. So, we approached the outing with a true game plan on which tents we'd like to explore. First, the Armbrustschutzen tent known for it's crossbow competition. Really? Drunken patrons with crossbows? I wasn't too disappointed to discover we weren't visiting during a scheduled competition.
Then, there's Hippodrom which is where all the beautiful people go! Kelly promptly declared this was were she was meant to be. Of course! Hippodrom has a club-like feel and is tent that most celebrities flock to.
Each tent has different look as well as vibe. With more time, you'd eventually find one that suited your personality. Every local has their favorite. Your favorite tent for dining might not necessarily be your favorite tent for drinking, and of course, there's lots of smack-talking about the competition. "Don't go there unless you're wearing lederhosen and looking to meet someone in lederhosen!" Gotcha!
Eventually, we followed the advice of multiple locals and made our way to the Hacker-Pschorr tent for lunch and our first liter of beer for the day. All I can say is trust the locals! They will not steer you wrong!
The Winzerer-Fahndl tent is known for it's authentic Bavarian decor and is another spot the celebrities frequent.
The Lowenbrau tent is especially popular with Munich soccer fans. Not surprising when you consider that they are The Lions!
Needing a break from the tents (beer), we decided to ride the ferris wheel for a bird's eye view of the insanity that is Oktoberfest. Wow! What an eye-opening experience! Sure, the view was incredible and from that vantage point you really could see the massive crowd that ebbed & flowed along the midway. However, the actual process of waiting our turn to board the ferris wheel was what truly stands out in my memory. There were no barricades to shuffle through like you would find here at U.S. theme parks. No, it was an orderly flow of people. People were respectful of when everyone entered the holding area. We recognized who entered before us and after us, and everyone else did the same. There was no pushing or shoving or otherwise rude behavior. Can you imagine?! If rides were set up like that here, I can guarantee you that someone would end up shanked! I love the German mentality. They're all Type-A like me! I found my little utopia on the planet! Ha!
With the dinner hour & the parents' plane approaching, we concluded our Oktoberfest experience. Auf wiedersehen, Oktoberfest! We will be back!!!
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