oktoberfest in münchen

After finding and checking-in to the apartment we rented through the help of a older German woman... thankfully, we had the address written so there was a lot of pointing and German jargon on a street corner, we found our way to the Augustiner Bräustuben.

...where the steins were bigger than my head! Augustiner is the oldest brewery in Munich and they serve some pretty hearty and tasty grub! We decided to continue our heritage exploration by making our way to a shop full of lederhosen and dirndls. It might have been one of the most overwhelming experiences - they are not kidding around! The shop was packed! But that didn't stop us from finding what we wanted. Next stop - Oktoberfest!

First off, it's a carnival. I had no idea. Second, they aren't really tents. I had an image of a large field or park filled with picnic tables, covered with tents, full of German women carrying so many steins their arms could break off. Well the women carrying steins part, 100% true! The tents though were more like huge buildings surrounded by an outdoor area, also known as a biergarten. We roamed through the crowd and finally decided to try to get into a tent or garden. Neither of us had any idea how difficult that would be! After standing in a few lines that didn't move, we were ready to cut our losses and go back to a brewery outside of the festival, but before leaving, we took one last stab at a side gate we found... success!

Serving Spaten - Schottenhamel garden. Our waiter's name was "Wolfy" and we were sitting at a table of 18-20 year olds. They thought we were old. This is also where we discovered that 1/2 Hähnchen meant 1/2 roasted chicken and it was d.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s. It might have become the meal of choice!

Our first day was a great start for the rest of the trip...