Munich

The gate to Oktoberfest in Munich

Our trip to Munich got off to a rocky start. As the cab to Galway was pulling up, Alex closed his fingers in the back door. So our goodbyes were a little hectic. The cab ride was fine and we got to the bus in time and the two hour trip back to the Dublin airport was much nicer in the daylight. Going through security I got patted down because my hair clip set off the metal detector and my bag was pulled. For the first time ever I had something confiscated and the most annoying part was that I had taken it through every other security checkpoint without a problem. In fact the one other time it was looked at by an agent (the same one who told me that wet wipes can cause false readings) it was studied and permitted through. For the record it was my bike screwdriver and the reason it couldn't go through was because "it could be used as a screwdriver".  Thanks. (In case you're wondering why I was carrying it in the first place the answer is simply that it lives in my backpack and is mostly used for replacing batteries.) The flight was uneventful. We transferred to the train and found the hotel with no problems, but then we realized that we had left our charging cables for both phones back in Ireland. Everything was on our phones: cameras, directions, reservations, translators, everything. Worse, I had left my glasses. I have often said, when heading out for a trip, that as long as we have IDs and tickets, credit cards can handle most anything else. I'm going to have to amend that to include my glasses. I generally wear contacts but I am so blind that I can not really function without glasses or contacts so even the period of time between taking out contacts and going to bed is problematic. If you wear contacts you will appreciate this: my prescription is -11.5, -12. No one even stocks them - they have to be ordered. Luckily, that never became an issue. 

The Glockenspiel at Marienplatz, as seen from the tower of Alter Peter

So anyway, up to that point our travel stride was way off. Thank goodness it all turned around from there. We stayed in a lovely hotel in Ismaning which I would highly recommend to anyone. There is an apple store in Munich and while we were there we signed up for a "free" walking tour (you pay what you want). The walking tour was about three and a half hours long including a quick stop for sausage sandwiches. We learned the stories told in the glockenspiel and the story of Marienplatz which the main plaza. We saw some of the churches and learned that every town in Germany has a Maypole that tells what the city is known for. Not surprisingly Munich is known for beer. (More surprisingly, Ismaning is known for cabbage.) We learned a lot of the history of Munich, including the rise of Hitler. We saw some of the small memorials around the city because while they don't want to forget that part if their history they don't want to be known for it either. We learned about the Lords and the Kings and the Opera House and of course about the history of Oktoberfest. 

When we were done we went over to Oktoberfest. I don't even know if I can really describe it. So I will start by saying that Oktoberfest was never a place I dreamed of going. What I knew of Oktoberfest - and what I'm sure many people know of Oktoberfest is that there is a lot of beer. A lot of beer. And there is - each of the six brands that are brewed in Munich have a special brew for the occasion and they set up huge beer tents where you can go and drink beer by the liter and eat pretzels and chicken and probably other things but that's all I saw. Every few minutes someone stands on a table and everyone cheers as he (could be she I suppose but much more likely he) chugs a liter of beer. Can you picture a liter of beer? It's almost three cans worth. I said on Facebook that I doubled my lifetime beer consumption on this trip. That may not be technically true but it's close. I'm not a beer drinker. But I did have a liter in the Pauliner beer tent and about two more (of varying brands) over the course if the trip. I won't say I've been converted but I did enjoy it. What I had never heard about Oktoberfest, though, is that it is a HUGE festival for all ages. There are crazy rides and food and games. People really truly wear leiderhosen and drindl. We did not - they are expensive and not very practical in California. But many, many people do. I was struck by the fact that there were a lot of tourists there but many many more people who live there. I hadn't appreciated how much of a tradition it is for them. I also didn't appreciate another part of the tradition: Oktoberfestherzen. These are big gingerbread hearts with writing on them that people wear around their necks. We actually went back the second night to get one to being back to the boys and Chris's parents. The first day finished off with a trip back to alter peter (St. Peter's church) to climb to the top of the tower followed by dinner across the street from the infamous Hofbrau Haus. We decided to try Augustiner instead. 

Inside the Pauliner beer tent

The second day we went to Andechs. It was an hour train ride followed by a 5 or so kilometer hike up to the monastery. We didn't anticipate the crowds that were there - it was a bank holiday and there was a family festival going on - but it was beautiful. The weather was perfect. We climbed to the top of the tower and the view was fantastic. We happened to be passing the bell as it started ringing which was a little unnerving. More beer. Lunch. We hiked back to the train and headed to the English Garden, a huge park with a stream running through it. And, of course, a Biergarten. We had more beer and dinner, headed back to Oktoberfest and then back to the hotel. 

The tower at Andechs

So, last year for my birthday I got a fitbit which is basically a pedometer with extra features. The reason I got that one over the wristband ones that are similar is that it calculates stairs and I have a lot if stairs at my house. But not as many as in Munich. My first day total of 22,537 Steps and 50 flights of stairs was a record until the second day when I got 26,865 steps and 108 flights of stairs. So, if you are planning to go visit, train first! Between that and the beer we slept very well on this trip. 

One last Oktoberfest picture

The next day we headed back to Ireland. The Munich airport was a little confusing but it was hands down the best experience I have ever had going through security. The people were nice and everything was explained clearly. They even had big bins that fit everything so you didn't need four of them (just one for Chris and I to share). The bus ride back to Galway took about 3 hours. We were on the top of a double decker bus, in the very front row. It provided an amazing view of the ride back but was also a little intimidating as there were some tight turns! We were met by Chris's mom and the boys (who had finally adjusted and were feeling much better), headed back to Orenmore for dinner, and had just enough time to re-pack the small suitcase for our next adventure.