Munchen und Oktoberfest 2010!!!

The excellent weather enjoyed in Paris continued as we continued onto Munich for Oktoberfest! Okay, I was really in Munich to visit a lab but the visit just happened to coincide with Oktoberfest. Seriously, it was an unplanned happy coincidence.

As neither of us had actually visited Munich prior to this, we also played the tourist around the city.

I also purchased a dirndl in preparations for joining in with the festivities!

We also met up with Pooey's friend Rita for dinner, who is a true-blue Munchener!

The restaurant, Frauenhofer

Pooey and Rita toast with their...spitzsi? Coke mixed with orange!

Check out my tired eyes!

Liver dumpling soup

Pooey's venison

I start attacking my pork knuckle!

Rita's comments on our decision to go to Oktoberfest included, "It's good that you've decided to come during the first week before the Italians and the Australians arrive!" Apparently these two nationalities party especially hard. Surprise surprise! We also decided to roll up early, just before lunchtime, to try and avoid the crowds of drunken people who would vomit on our shoes and clothes.

Pooey at various levels of excitement at the gates to the Theresienwieser (where they hold Oktoberfest)

Pooey tries on various hats. Rita nearly disowned her as a friend.

Liederhosen!

We planted ourselved in one of the Paulaner beer tents where we got some food, some beer, and sat back to enjoy the Bavarian dancing.

With Rita.

Pooey felt out of place without a dirndl so she tied her hair into pigtails to get into the mood.

Those steins are heavy! 1kg of beer + however much the glass weighs!

Various dances

This cameraman hottie was videoing the revelry.

Chugging with the dancing troupe

Starting...finishing...finishing...finished!

We decided that rather than get smashing drunk, we'd not be too Australia and instead take a walk around and take in the sights of Oktoberfest.

With the Paulaner beer barrels

The Paulaner draught horses moved just as I was taking this pic :D

Schatzi!

The Lowenbrau tent came complete with a lion that roared "Lowenbrau!" every minute!

Don't remember which tent this is...Augustiner?

Did you know there are amusement rides at Oktoberfest? I didn't!

The view from the ferris wheel. Despite the number of people you see, Rita said that this was apparently this is "not crowded."

Rita confessed that she had always been too scared to go on the ghost train. Cue us dragging her onto the ghost train :D

Eeeeeeeeekkkk!!!!

She survived!!!!

Friendly Freddie Kruger

Oktoberfest started as the wedding celebration between Crown Prince Ludwig (later Ludwig I) and Princess Theresa of Saxe-Hildburghausen. 2010 was the 200th anniversary of the original wedding party - it amuses me to think that the year after their marriage, some guy went "Hey! Remember that awesome party we had for your wedding? Let's do it again!" There was a special 200th anniversary dedicated area that had things from Oktoberfests of the past.

The special anniversary beer tent with a rendering of the happy couple.

They had animals at the original Oktoberfest! Some cool chickens, a horse, and patting a shetland pony! I want a pony!

Patting a cow on the antique merry-go-round

It was a long and tiring day so to end, here's this photo!

I sure did!