Saturday, September 20, 2008

Oktoberfest starts TODAY!!







OKTOBERFEST goes for two weeks....starting today! Anybody been? Got any stories to share or any advice?
MY advice is to go when it's raining (less people there!)
30% of the year's production of beer by Munich breweries will be consumed in the two weeks of Oktoberfest! Read details like this one on this link......

36 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oktoberfest!...and me not wearin' my lederhosen!

Nope, ne'er been. Now I feel depressed... *sniff*

Anonymous said...

This looks like SO much fun! The last time I was in Munich I wanted to find a beerhall and join in, but I had my son Marcus with me and he was only 11. The beer in Germany was so good. Hey if they keep carving up the pigs like that, Allah's boys weill stay the hell out! :-)

Morgan

Anonymous said...

Looks yummy too me.

Pat Jenkins said...

all in moderation my dear z... all in moderation... he he!!!

Anonymous said...

Pat and Bob that looks mighty tasty! And to hell with the moderation.

Morgan

shoprat said...

We have one nearby too. I love festivals but don't really care for the taste of beer. I go for the other attractions.

Khaki Elephant said...

I lived in Germany for a bit and attended Oktoberfest in Munich a couple of times while there. I have the usual stories (childish writing on passed-out friends, vomiting, "is that urine on my shoes?") my favorite is this:

The President of my company was in from America and stumbled over to me in the beer tent, pink-face and laughing. "Hey, Paul" he started, "how have you been. Things going well? Life good? Hey, where's your wife?"

"You just put your arms around her, Scott."

Z said...

I'm not too much of a beer drinker, but it SURE is good there!

I've lived in Munich for short periods of time and LOVE it...but always avoided the Oktoberfest because I HATE crowds. BUT, the time I had to go (invited, etc.) it rained and there were LOTS of people but, from what I was told, far LESS people than usual. We're talking tents that hold 10000 people each!...many tents!

The details of how much they serve on the link I posted is incredible!

And that's not pork, Morgan (more's the pity), it's OXEN!! Thought they do serve pork AND chicken there, too!

Pat...even I couldn't eat the WHOLE oxen!!!

bob..it really is yummy, but FAR yummier sitting calmly on a warm Summer's night in Munich at a normal beer garden!

Khaki, did you live in Munich, too? LOVE it.

fj...maybe you could go in a pirate suit? Avast ye Deutsche!

Anonymous said...

I've never been. I would like to go. I will be happy to carry Mr. Z's luggage and I can leave in 15 minutes.

Anonymous said...

Save some bratwurst with sauerkraut for me!

kevin said...

Roll out the barrel!

Anonymous said...

Okay I just picked up a sixer of Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale to celebrate Oktoberfest. Tastes good too!

Morgan

Karen Townsend said...

Haven't been but it is on the to-do list. My paternal roots are in Vienna so I feel compelled to go to Austria and Germany in my lifetime.

I'll drink to Oktoberfest! Our favorite local microbrewery makes a tasty brew for the season.

Z said...

mustang! What about MY LUGGAGE?!!

Throwing Stones and Kevin...You bet! (and OH, is that food DEEElicious)

And Morgan...PUMPKIN SPICE BEEEEER?

(((Thought Criminal))) said...

Like all French cities, St. Louis here is over run by Germans. We have a pretty large Oktoberfest here.

Mmmmmmmmmmm.. beer and bratwurst....

Z said...

Karen, you will LOVE IT!
I adore Vienna, too.
We had dinner at a place outside the city and dined with friends at the same table where Beethoven sat and met with friends when he stayed at the inn there; very out of the way place, he went there to this place to get away from things. Felt holy to me!

Vienna is regal...actually got to go to a cadet's ball one night. I remember that night the dinner was rather light and, by the time the pumpkin coach had rolled Mr and Mrs Z back to the hotel late that night, we got potato chips and Cokes from the front desk and sat on the bed watching CNN!!

Another night, we saw the opera RIENZI (divine)with a steel magnate in the King's box(business) and had dinner at the Sacher HOtel in a private dining room, four of us, amid shiney mahogany walls, red roses, and silver-domed food........

BALANCE, right?!!! I LOVED all these experiences and should write a book, I've got a million! Thanks for the memory boost!

Z said...

beamish! Still, it must KILL you to live near anything that smacks of anything FRENCH, knowing you!! LOL!

ya, sausage and beer is pretty darned good! Enjoy!

Anonymous said...

I'm not a beer lovin' gal, but who could resist hordes of fun loving people?

Sounds like great fun!

Pris

Z said...

Did I mention that, while living in Munich, more than one person told me that there are waitresses who work Oktoberfest's two weeks and that's it for the YEAR? They make a ton of money there..and they work HARD and are STRONG! Those glasses you see in the pictures are ENORMOUS. I can barely lift one, seriously!

Mantha said...

bring on the ooompah bands!

i've been to fake Germany at Disneyworld, but that probably doesn't count. :-) hee hee hee

they did have German beer, German wine, and the ooompah band, though.

we also have a Bavarian Grill by my work. It's a German restaurant, complete with waters in lederhosen. very cool for after a hard week at work. :-)

Papa Frank said...

Hearty wenches and roasted meat and frothy mead!!! A celebration of the harvest and life. I'd love to go sometime.

Papa Frank said...

This post was so fun and beautiful I almost thought it was your Sunday post. ;)

Always On Watch said...

It begins today???

I just called Mr. AOW, who is bartending tonight at our local VFW. He's going to put up an announcement for the clientele.

Z said...

AOW...he'll sell a LOT more BEER!

Mike said...

Hey Z!
I'm curious...you may have already mentioned it, but what is your connection to Germany? Ancestry? Visit often??
Also, I've seen you write about having an email list...how do I get on it???
M.A.

Brooke said...

Oomp-pah-pahs and Beir all around! Oooh, and kielbassa, though you can keep the sauerkraut!

Z: Try the pumpkin spice stuff. You'll like it! :)

Just do it when it's a little cooler out.

Z said...

m.a...Mr. Z is from Germany and I've lived there several times for months at a time. Love it.

My email list? I guess I was referring to my personal distribution list, I guess...my friends, etc.

Let me check your site and see if you list your email addy and I'll email you. If not, I'll try to remember my Yahoo address (and how to get INTO it) and tell you what that is at your site! thankz!!

Mike said...

Sorry Z. Not to pry or stick my foot in the door or anything like that. There have just been a couple times recently when I've seen something and thought, "Z should see that!" As an example: http://townhall.com/funnies/cartoonist/LisaBenson/2008/09/1

I guess I could just post it on my blog and say, "check this out".

Mike said...

oops. here's the link:
the link.

(((Thought Criminal))) said...

Z,

Oh, St. Louis is barely French anymore. Even the French street names are pronounced as if they were English. Kinda like Detroit is pronounced "Dee-troyt," instead of "De-twah"

The Vegas Art Guy said...

Mmmmmm beer. Me loves the beer. But just one or two a night. If you don't drink much beer go for the lagers and pilsners, they are the lightest ones and the smoothest for the novice.

And enjoy yerself....

PS sorry I have not visited you as much as you visit me, life keeps getting in the way...

Z said...

that's okay, Vegas guy..just keep blogging. I enjoy it and want to support you!! Thanks for your nice words.

Beamish..Detroit! Hm. Never thought of that. It SURE AIN'T PARIS, no matter HOW we pronounce it, TRUST ME!!

Anonymous said...

I've never been.
But I want that cookie.
I want that beer.
And I want that meat!!!

Anonymous said...

not in that order.
;-)

Warren said...

I was in Germany on military maneuvers in September, October and the beginning of November of 1971.

During Oktoberfest, several of us "borrowed" a truck, put on some civvies and went (sneaked) into Munich on a Saturday evening.

I remember the gigantic beer tent and the throngs, drinking beer singing and eating sausages and roast pork.

I have no idea how we got back to where we were supposed to be without being caught.

:^)

Z said...

warren, thanks for dropping by! There was a fantastic base in Munich for years..it's gone now. I went to a really fun and very American fair there..just loved it.
America with bratwurst and German beer. LOVEd being surrounded by servicemen, their families living there, and TONS of appreciative Germans!