Germany - Munich
Original Post: October 16, 2018
Don’t be afraid to have fun with your money. A million dollars in savings will never buy back your youth.
You know that feeling when your friend is telling you about something really amazing that they did, and you get jealous enough that you decide you have to do that thing now, too? That thing was Oktoberfest in Germany.
When my roommate and I decided that we were going to study abroad for our Fall semester, we agreed that we would travel the world and experience everything - on a budget. That idea went out the window when our friend at Maynooth University began telling us about her incredible first weekend abroad that she spent in another country - Munich in Germany, to be exact. As the words were flowing from her mouth, we looked at each other and immediately knew what we had to do: book a flight for the upcoming weekend.
Fast forward to 2AM on Saturday, October 6, and my two roommates at Maynooth and I were preparing to leave for the airport for our 6AM flight out of Dublin to Munich. Although a bit difficult after sleeping only a few hours, we managed to make it to the airport by 4AM - just in time for a full Irish breakfast and coffee before our plane took off. A brief power nap later and we were in Germany for the final weekend of Oktoberfest!
In Munich and other parts of Germany, the train system is the main mode of transportation. We were able to get an all-day group pass for the three of us, which allowed us to go straight from the Munich airport to a station around the corner from our hotel. From the hotel, we went to Marienplatz, a central square in Munich, where we were told to get our dirndl’s - traditional Bavarian dresses with aprons that women wear at Oktoberfest.
“Dirndl’s are all over and around Oktoberfest,” they told us, “You will find them in booths at every train station close to the festival.” They were wrong.
After spending two hours looking, we finally found them in Marienplatz at a department store. They were hidden all the way in the back, and because it was the final weekend of Oktoberfest, the choices were very limited. But we were determined.
Once we found the dirndl’s that were not (1) a kid’s extra small, or (2) four sizes too large, we paid for them and put them over the clothes we had been wearing all day - and were able to head straight to the festival rather than journeying back to the hotel first.
Almost immediately, we were stopped by a man in the street who explained that we had the apron’s bow placed incorrectly - we had them tied behind our back - and it would have meant that we were either a waitress or a widow. Skeptical that he may have been joking, we decided to look this Oktoberfest tradition up ourselves - he was not wrong. A bow placed on the left side shows that someone is single; on the right that they are in a relationship or married; on the back, does in fact, show that someone is either a waitress or a widow.
Once we finally made it to Oktoberfest, we were in awe of what appeared to be thousands of people - in their 20’s, parents with children, grandparents - you name it, they were there.
The grounds were filled with roller coaster rides and a Ferris wheel, miles of food stands with bratwurst and pretzels, and your choice of 14 different beer tents.
We knew it would be packed with people, but we never could have imagined the extent to which we would be waiting in lines and wandering aimlessly until we decided on a place to sit. Not knowing much at all about the different beer tents - or what beer tents even were - we chose one that had slightly less of a line than the others, and we waited. And we waited, and we waited, for about an hour.
Finally, enough people had left the tent that they were able to let us in - to the outdoor area. Once we got inside, we immediately went up to a server to ask for something to eat and drink - we had had nothing since our 4AM breakfast at the airport in Ireland, and by then it was almost 4PM in Germany.
With our day already not at all going according to plan, we were less than surprised when the server told us, “No. You cannot get drinks or food unless you are seated at a table.”
There were no open tables. Every inch of every table was crammed with people eating, drinking and chatting - living the life we wanted so desperately to live.
Then, out of the sea of people, a light shined down from the sky on a table outside of the tent with just enough room for the three of us to squeeze - and that we did. We ended up sitting next to a man and woman from Munich, and we told them all about our day that started at 2AM that morning. As the menu was completely in German, they helped us choose what food to order. Unfortunately, even with their guidance, we unknowingly accidentally pointed to the wrong item on the menu - ordering Weisswurst, a white bratwurst, instead of regular bratwurst. Once we received our order, our new German friends explained that we had to peel open the outer layer and eat only the inside of the sausage. We politely declined the offer to do so, but did try one small bite - I can attest that it was not the best food I’ve ever had.
To make up for the miscommunication, our German friend told us that his German friend worked inside the beer tent and asked us if we wanted to go inside. Of course we did! That day, to get into the beer tent, you had to have VIP access - or, you had to know someone who knew someone. Luckily, we fell under the latter.
The inside of the tent was lined with picnic tables from wall to wall. In the middle, there was a stage with a band playing (mainly American-made) music - John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads was a big hit.
The following day on the final day of Oktoberfest, we spent time wandering around the grounds. In total, we ate (way too many) bratwursts and (way too many) pretzels, and spent (way too much) money on beers. And we had the most fun we had had in our lives - up until that point - in two days. And it was worth it.