THE Oktoberfest

The gang of expats starting their epic trip to Munich from Frankfurt.

First stop Hofbrauhaus!  Girls rule...

...Boys drool.

The gang outside the one and only Hofbrauhaus in Munich.

As we enter the hallowed grounds of Oktoberfest, we are greeted by Dirndl'd Frauleins.

Our guide for the day, Tobias, was a true Bavarian from Munich.  He claimed his lederhosen was authentic since he got it from his grandfather.  All the rest, he soon pointed out, were fakes.

These so-called "Beer Tents" are enormous wooden barns that take months to erect each year.  Only 7 local Munich breweries are allowed to have a tent.

The Spaten tent cooks up an ox every day of the 2-week long fest.

In just 2 weeks time, 1,183,000 gallons of beer is consumed here!

The famous Lowenbrau lion watches over his tent with a liter mug.

We all took a ride on the famous ferris wheel... BEFORE we started partaking in beer and chicken.

View from atop the ferris wheel.

Fellow Festivarians - Laura, Ed, Tim, Agnes in our 8-seater compartment. 

And Pete, Mary, Sue and Chris on the other side.

Laura shows off her traditional Bavarian Dirndl.

Our destination of course is the famous Hofbrau Oktoberfest Tent.  The wreaths and hanging vines are made of hops.



Our jam-packed table at the Hofbrau tent.  Our fearless leader Tobias in front.



The infamous waitresses who manage to carry up to 12 one-liter mugs at a time.

Our waitress arrives with yet more beer and pretzels.  Toby told us that pretzels get their shape from the way monks prayed - crossing their arms over their heart.

The place was packed - you can see the oompapa band in the left corner.  Mary wanted to get on stage to yodel but was rejected - no dirndl.

Tim bought roses for the women from this lovely flower girl and was admiring her tattoo.

"I think we have the hang of this Oktoberfest thing, Pete"

Mary explains how to drink beer appropriately...

...and then demonstrates this to the entire tent to rousing applause.

Tim found even more fun with this full Frau.

Laura found Waldo at the Pschorr tent outside...

...and Chris found Sue...

The last (and one too many) beers at the Augustiner tent favored by the locals.

From the Marienplatz, we will re-think next year's visit.
Tschus!!

By The Sea, By The Bodensee

Just before one of the hottest weekends in August, we did what the Germans do...we headed for the lake.  In this case, it's The Bodensee or Lake Konstanz which forms a border between southern Germany, northeast Switzerland, and western Austria.  It was a last minute decision so we had no reservations, just a wing and a prayer.  We arrived in the city of Konstanz, the largest on the Bodensee and a university town.  The town is divided by the Rhine river that flows out of the lake and north through Germany.  The water is crystal clear and cold.  Konstanz is a well-preserved medieval town.  During the war, the allies were afraid to bomb it because it sits so close to neutral Switzerland.  It's claim to fame is the Council of Constance in 1415 held here to settle the Great Schism - a rift in the church caused by the 2 popes ruling from both Rome and Avignon France. The statue of Imperia stands in the harbor to honor or mock this historical event, depending on your point of view. 

We arrived in town at the local tourist office who told us that every room in town is booked so we may need to visit one of the other towns on the other side of the lake. So we started walking and I saw a sign!  It was restaurant called "Karma."  Just a few blocks from there we saw Hotel Bayrischer Hof - an old hotel in the city center.  We decided to walk inside and wing it.  Sure enough, they just opened a room when a guest cancelled minutes before our arrival !!  So Good Karma came our way again. 

A view from Konstanz looking toward the lake and the start of the Rhine River.

The Imperia Statue: dressed in revealing clothing, in her hands she holds the Emperor and the Pope.  This caused quite the controversy in Germany when it was unveiled in 1993.

Konzil - the old market where fisherman would bring their catch to sell.  Now it holds a wonderful restaurant...

...where we sat looking at the Seestrasse.  On the menu was an incredible Perch dish, fresh from the lake.  We actually came back the next day and had the same meal. 

On Saturday evening, we visited a great Bavarian style beer garden on the lakefront.

The band was from Canada! and played some great country and bluegrass.  The fiddle player does Irish dancing while she's playing the fiddle... amazing.  When she started dancing, everyone stopped talking and stared as only Germans can do.

On Sunday, we took a ferry across the lake to see the beautful but hazy mountain skyline.

The picture tells the story - it got well into the 90s that day.





 

Across the lake our destination was the romantic small town of Meersburg.

This sea walkway meanders along the shoreline of Meersburg.

Meersburg is steeply terraced and bans cars in the city center.

The Meersburg harbor has its own sculpture that defies description.  Nevermind...the Austrian Alps are in the distance.

Our final stop on the ferry was the tiny island of Mainau, a botanical wonder.

I had pot envy.

These are the Italian gardens where I was surrounded by roses.

A view from Botanical Mainau to the Lake.

Das Schmetterlinghaus - the butterfly conservatory was extremely hot, humid and creepy.  Butterflies landed on our shoulders.  We lasted long enough to get this picture. 

Our final stop on the trip was the Rhine Falls just west of Konstanz.  It's over 14,000 years old and about a football field and a half wide.

Tschus!!