Munich Oktoberfest -- Wednesday September 30 - Friday October 2, 2015

What a scene!!  Words cannot describe the entire event at the Oktoberfest.  Just incredible.  We left for Munich on Wednesday morning about 8 AM and arrived in Munich about 11:30 AM.  The train ride was extremely smooth, quiet and scenic as we passed through Switzerland, Austria and then into Germany.  The main train station in Munich was packed with people that were coming and going to the Oktoberfest. There were many shops selling all kinds of Oktoberfest souvenirs.  Since we have all been to Munich many times before, we knew where to go to find the hotel.  We walked from the Hauptbahnhof down through the main shopping street in Munich (Neuhauser Strasse) stopping off along the way to catch the noontime “show” of the famous Glockenspiel.  After checking into the hotel we walked over to the Viktualienmarkt (great small market place with many shops, food and bier stands) for some lunch.  After lunch we were off for the Wiesn (grounds where the Oktoberfest is held).  Upon our arrival at the Wiesn and seeing the crowds, rides, bier “tents”, food stands, etc., brought back great memories and excitement, as I was here in 2011.  After walking around the grounds for a while we settled in a biergarten at the Marstall tent. Ivo and I had a Spaten bier,  the standard 1 liter eine Maß size, while Gail and Eliane had a ½ liter Franziskaner Weissbier.  Just sitting here drinking fresh beer, relaxing and watching the crowd have a festive time at the renowned Oktoberfest is an incredible experience.  A while later we ordered some chicken for dinner ………….. ½ chicken seems to be the most popular food served at the Oktoberfest.  Over the two weeks of the Oktoberfest, all the vendors must sell hundreds of thousands of chicken meals.  In addition to chicken most tents were selling varieties of wurst, potato dumplings, etc. etc.  In addition to a beer festival, this party is also a food festival.  One tent was selling whole grilled fish.  I cannot even begin to list every type and variety of food and beer that was being sold. We visited numerous tents over the three days that we were here, but just to name a few, we drank and ate at Augustiner Brau, Löwenbräu, Hacker-Pschorr among others.  Inside the tents it was almost impossible to get a seat, as there were literally thousands of people drinking, eating, singing, and dancing.  Outside the tents were many, many rides for children and adults.  Even though the prices on these rides were very expensive, there was no shortage of customers.

     Aside from visiting the Weisn for the festivities, we walked around Munich and went into some interesting shops.  The entire few days in Munich were extremely exciting.  All I can say is that the Oktoberfest party is something that one needs to see and experience at some point in their life;  words cannot describe this event.

These are just a limited sampling of the photos that I took at the Oktoberfest.  I will post more with a link to them in the next few days.......stay tuned.  Click on any photo below to enlarge it.