Amy decided to get up early to camp out and get a spot in a tent but having heard Chrish's advice after having done it himself last year - the first beer is tapped and poured at 12, but people camp for spots from about 8am or BOOK a table at least 2 years in advance, and it took him over an hour to get his first beer last year - Gnou, Rachi, and I decided to stand on Schwanthalerstr. to watch the ceremonial parade.
The start with the blue and white flag of Bavaria
This band member looks like Santa!
Another brass band
The winner of the Wiesn-madl competition
Here come the horses with the Spaten-Franziskaner/Schottenhamel bier!
Another band
I can't remember what these people were
The beers from the other Muenchener breweries!
Paulaner
Lowenbrau
Hacker-Pschorr
Augustiner
Another guy from Augustiner with his sole barrel
Hehehehe
Some people representing Munich Winemakers
And yet another band
There's only so many carriages of beer and Oompa bands you can watch so around 11:30 we hiked over to the grounds to look for somewhere to get a bier. We picked up Eleonora on the way and enjoyed her Italian *Dio mio!* at how many people there were.
There was a lot of people
A LOT
OF
PEOPLE
Adding to the congestion by stopping for a pic!
Eventually we got physically into the Hofbrau Festzelt but it was so full there was no way we could sit down.
Coming up to the 'tent'.
According to wikipedia, it seats over 5000 and was...so full...
Photo op!
Respect
Chrish had actually left us at the Hofbrau Tent to go to the lab (*snort*) but on his way out, he sent a message saying that the Hofbrau Weißbierkarussell biergarten seemed to have space so we headed out there.
The Weißbierkarussell biergarten is exactly what it sounds like - a biergarten set around an antique carousel which you can stand on while drinking beer!
The bar
With biers!
Horsey gets into the mood by wearing Gnoudesavanes' hat
Trying to show my biermadl pedigree...server guy is suitably unimpressed.
Afterwards, Rachi, Gnou, and I decided to go on the Ferris Wheel and get an overview of the grounds. Eleonora declined to join us because she's afraid of heights.
The view from below
The view from above
So
many
people!
Even the biergarten in the paying-entry historic section was full!!!
We then got the call from Ruben that he was at the Lowenbrau biergarten with some of his amigos who flew in especially to partake of the festivities.
Having heard a comment that the Lowenbrau beer was pretty good, I think I snorted and said something along the lines of, "Well, my fave Munich beer is actually Augustiner." Cue all of us getting up and moving to the Augustiner Biergarten!
It was also pretty full...
but he'd staked out a place under the tower.
The most international photo of the bunch!
Having heard a comment that the Lowenbrau beer was pretty good, I think I snorted and said something along the lines of, "Well, my fave Munich beer is actually Augustiner." Cue all of us getting up and moving to the Augustiner Biergarten!
You can only order a bier while sitting down. Here I tried to negotiate with some people to let me sit down and buy some by being cute.
Got some!
Chrish rejoined us for another international photo.
Some locals laugh at the antics of tourists
I don't know what's going on here.
And then at some point in the afternoon, we all realised we were wasted and finished the day.
But we weren't as wasted as this guy.
(Oh yes, all photos are from Rachi because I was too lazy this year to go crazy with my own camera.)
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