Day 3
Here we are at day 3...well it should really be day 1 because it was the first day of Oktoberfest where the real partying began. So up in the morning by 8 most of us headed downstairs for a touch of breakfast, which i think was quite nice (meats, rolls, cereal, fruits, toast and a whole bunch of things to go with it) and took advantage of the situation by stuffing my face of course!
By 9am we were off to the festival grounds, a little confused as to what direction we were meant to be headed we pretty much went in 3 different directions before eventually choosing the original one it being the correct one. Once we got close to the grounds we followed the crowd and hit the jackpot, well our intended destination.
The area the beer tents are on is huge and all around are roller coasters, thrill rides and shops selling all sorts of bits and pieces. Somehow we kind of knew where the hoffbrau tent was (I think big Stu knew the general direction of the tent) and headed in the general direction of that way. Well by the time we got there and went inside there was absolutely no way we were going to get a table even though there was room for about 8000 people every position available was gone and it was only about 9 15 in the morning. We did the next best thing and managed to get a table outside, luckily the weather was perfect so it wasn't so bad... a bit hot even! Time 9 30 table acquired....beer serving time starts at 12noon!! On the first day you can't get any beer until 12 because there is a parade and traditionally the first barrel has to be tapped in a ceremony which marks the beginning of Oktoberfest.
Just before 12 over the speakers comes a voice announcing the approaching festivities some music is played, one song in particular that we will all know very well by the end of the trip sings about beer being ambrosia (the nectar of the gods). It hits 12 and something like fireworks get shot up into the sky every few seconds like gunshots to let it be known it's now beer time....well they can start serving now but you have to wait for the serving wenches to come to your table and take your order....10 steins please! Finally by 12 30 we were drinking, 3 hours after sitting down!!
Throughout the day we progressively got more drunk and hungry. Food was expensive to say the least but when Iain found a shop that sold pork knuckles we had to get one even at 25euros for 1, we decided to go halves, definitely worth it. As good as the beer was I'm not a beer drinker so the pork knuckle was a great thing for me, I could have a good drink then quickly eat some knuckle to fill my mouth with such a better flavour...i ate the knuckle over about 1 hour and it was the best food from the whole trip....except maybe the pizza shop just by the hotel but that wasn't at the festival so it doesn't count.
Spending the whole day drinking beer in the sun and dancing on tables (much more table dancing was done in the days to come) does get to you after a while and by around 7 or 8 or something like that we were pretty knackered and looking to head back to the hotel. The only problem was that Campbell had manged to get himself lost after a trip to the loo or something like that, so the remaining people put up a bit of a futile effort to try and find him before heading off. By the end of the day we had begun a tradition of everybody losing everybody else and managing to walk back to the hotel in 2's 3's or often by yourself. Like trying to walk stu back and him worrying about getting caught stealing a stein from the grounds so he decides to take a little detour and we don't see him again until the next morning at breakfast time, ah memories. It seems to be a Youngson tradition to walk off and get lost or just decide to go somewhere else....twits.
By 9am we were off to the festival grounds, a little confused as to what direction we were meant to be headed we pretty much went in 3 different directions before eventually choosing the original one it being the correct one. Once we got close to the grounds we followed the crowd and hit the jackpot, well our intended destination.
The area the beer tents are on is huge and all around are roller coasters, thrill rides and shops selling all sorts of bits and pieces. Somehow we kind of knew where the hoffbrau tent was (I think big Stu knew the general direction of the tent) and headed in the general direction of that way. Well by the time we got there and went inside there was absolutely no way we were going to get a table even though there was room for about 8000 people every position available was gone and it was only about 9 15 in the morning. We did the next best thing and managed to get a table outside, luckily the weather was perfect so it wasn't so bad... a bit hot even! Time 9 30 table acquired....beer serving time starts at 12noon!! On the first day you can't get any beer until 12 because there is a parade and traditionally the first barrel has to be tapped in a ceremony which marks the beginning of Oktoberfest.
Just before 12 over the speakers comes a voice announcing the approaching festivities some music is played, one song in particular that we will all know very well by the end of the trip sings about beer being ambrosia (the nectar of the gods). It hits 12 and something like fireworks get shot up into the sky every few seconds like gunshots to let it be known it's now beer time....well they can start serving now but you have to wait for the serving wenches to come to your table and take your order....10 steins please! Finally by 12 30 we were drinking, 3 hours after sitting down!!
Throughout the day we progressively got more drunk and hungry. Food was expensive to say the least but when Iain found a shop that sold pork knuckles we had to get one even at 25euros for 1, we decided to go halves, definitely worth it. As good as the beer was I'm not a beer drinker so the pork knuckle was a great thing for me, I could have a good drink then quickly eat some knuckle to fill my mouth with such a better flavour...i ate the knuckle over about 1 hour and it was the best food from the whole trip....except maybe the pizza shop just by the hotel but that wasn't at the festival so it doesn't count.
Spending the whole day drinking beer in the sun and dancing on tables (much more table dancing was done in the days to come) does get to you after a while and by around 7 or 8 or something like that we were pretty knackered and looking to head back to the hotel. The only problem was that Campbell had manged to get himself lost after a trip to the loo or something like that, so the remaining people put up a bit of a futile effort to try and find him before heading off. By the end of the day we had begun a tradition of everybody losing everybody else and managing to walk back to the hotel in 2's 3's or often by yourself. Like trying to walk stu back and him worrying about getting caught stealing a stein from the grounds so he decides to take a little detour and we don't see him again until the next morning at breakfast time, ah memories. It seems to be a Youngson tradition to walk off and get lost or just decide to go somewhere else....twits.
The Festival grounds with rides in the background and some of the great traditional costumes in the foreground...some of these outfits were really great and very....revealing. :)
Our home for the first day, the beer garden of the Hoffbrau tent. Blue skies!
Iain and myself posing with our pork knuckle
Iain, Luke, Cam, Stu and Me all in our hats which we bought to keep cool and to look good of course
Stu the first victim of the 'smashing stein syndrome'
No one was permanently harmed during the making of this picture!!
posted by kitoris at 7:20 pm
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