It was Oktoberfest again today in Munich. It rained during the day and that drove the masses of people indoors. We finally found a place at a table in the Baurosl Tent. It was the tent we had picked out from the many choices because the tourist sites said it had some of the best music. It was wunderbar! The crowd of thousands sitting at the tables on two levels were fully engaged–some standing on chairs to sing along. We didn’t mind that the words were all German; it was a fun people-watching event. Folks danced in the aisles; vendors walked about selling wonderful food and German clothing; wait staff scurried about with food and beer–I saw one waitress carrying ten huge full beer mugs–and patrons stood and offered smiles and hugs. It is really hard to describe the atmosphere that was German to the core. Lederhosen and dirndls predominated the dress, and the yodel-singing lady was really good as she sang with a big brass band. The room rocked, and the crowd roared.

In the evening, we left the Wiesen–the field on which the Oktoberfest is held–and headed to the Marianplatz in the Altstadt so that Kathy and I could allow our friends, Allen and Rhonda, the experience of eating in one of our favorite Munich restaurants, the Augustiner. It was another wonderful, fun-filled day that was captured in this oft sung beer toast song:

Ein Prosit, ein Prosit
Der Gemütlichkeit
Ein Prosit, ein Prosit
Der Gemütlichkeit.
WEG