I get a standing invitation to come to Oktoberfest in Munich every year. My good friend Tobias has a way to get a table reserved for him and his friends. Since I was coming to Europe this year I thought I'd make a stop in Munich before going on to Sicily. I was lucky to find a Business Class "open-jaw" ticket with Turkish Airlines at a very good price. I fly from JFK airport in NYC to Istanbul to Munich on the outbound and Palermo to Istanbul to JFK on the inbound. In between my stay in Munich, including a short visit to Salzburg, and Sicily, I was able to schedule a few days in Naples. I've always wanted to see Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast so this is the best opportunity for me to do so. I will write about that trip in my next post.
When I landed in Munich on a late Tuesday evening I had already planned on the trip to Salzburg, which I wrote in my previous post. Upon my return from Salzburg, after a few hours rest, Tobias and his wife, Christine, and I went straight to Theresienwiese, the area in Munich where Oktoberfest is held. There was a large crowd on the train and walking towards the fairgrounds.
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| Tobias, Christine and I |
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| Large crowds outside the beer tent |
The official Oktoberfest actually starts in September. Why? Years ago they said it was too cold in October so they start in September, and overflow into October. The day I attended in late September was a beautiful warm day. We walked around the fairgrounds before going into the tent where we have a table reserved. It's not easy to get a table. You can come early and get into a tent but if you are not sitting at a table you won't be served beer. Through some connections Tobias was able to get a table in one of the tents. There are about 10 big tents, each holding about 8,000 happy beer drinkers. Each tent is sponsored by a beer company. There is a lot of 1-liter mugs of beer sold. I was told that each tent can generate about 4 million euros a night! One liter of beer costs about 16 euros.
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| Our waitress delivering beer |
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| Happy friends! |
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| Drinking and Singing |
Fans sining "Sweet Caroline"
Everyone had a glorious time. Who wouldn't? After all the beer and a rousing atmosphere you can't help but be happy and singing. The band was playing very loud music. As the night goes on the music gets louder and at a higher tempo. I was waiting for the song that will get everyone singing - "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond. For some reason this song became the most popular song at Oktoberfest. Every Oktoberfest I attended in the past, this song will get some to jump on the table and start singing and dancing. Maybe it's because of its catchy tune and easy sing along tune. Like many baseball games in the US this song has become the anthem of many public events. Neil Diamond is sitting happily at home collecting royalties.
I have been to Munich several times but I have mostly gone around the Marienplatz area where there is a big pedestrian mall and in the middle of it all is the well-known and popular Glockenspiel.
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| The Glockenspiel in Marienplatz |
This time I asked my friend Tobias to show me around the downtown area. We expanded my previous knowledge of the area and walked by many places I have never seen before.
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| Munich Cathedral |
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| Statue of a famous person |
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| An important residence |
In the morning we also visited the Lustheim Palace. It is a beautiful setting for a palace. It was not busy in the morning but as we were leaving in the afternoon more visitors, including a wedding party showed up.
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| Lustheim Palace |
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| Another view |
We had some refreshments in a beer garden. I was surprised that the Germans like mackerel. They eat it barbequed. Most Americans said that mackerels are too oily, which is exactly why the Germans like it. Like salmon and sardines, oily fish are healthy. Mackerels are included in that category.
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BBQing mackerels
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On Sunday we were invited to lunch with Christine's brother at a small town a few miles away. There was a farmers' market going on.
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