Munich – September 26 and 27, 2016

I went to my first Oktoberfest in Munich with trepidation and reluctance, and this year marks the third year in a row that Kathy and I have attended. Oktoberfest in Munich is a blast! The mix of people in traditional dirndls and lederhosen with live music spread across fourteen huge tents and the festive decorations all across the enormous event space at the Theresaweisen Park are mesmerizing.

Munich is a great city with much to do. From the intriguing Middle Ages mechanical wonder of the glockenspiel at the Rathaus to the old Hofbrauhaus drinking and dining establishment to the fabulous Residenz of the Imperial Wittlesbach family to the castles and abbeys on the outskirts of the city, one can be quite involved with sightseeing. Our group spent the morning and early afternoon at the Oktoberfest and the afternoon at the Residenz. Its treasury of priceless art, crown jewels and artifacts left our heads spinning. Its enormous rooms with gold and tapestries and silk, crystal chandeliers and ceiling frescoes were wonders to behold. What a day!

We managed a table on the upper floor of the Hofbrauhaus one evening for a meal. The vaulted barrel ceiling painted in subdued colors and the upfront band and traditional dancers gave a great ambiance to our meal. I fell in love with the cabbage salad (vinegar based with caraway seed and bacon) and wished I had simply ordered three helpings and called it a meal. At over 400 years old, the establishment has quite a history and makes for a delightful stop when visiting the city. We were all happy to reach our hotel and put up our feet and get ready to enjoy another day. WEG