Part III and the conclusion of our latest trip which wrapped up in Munich, Germany... Oktoberfest!!
The worlds largest festival did not disappoint and delivered so many great times and memories. This was the hi-light of our trip as we met up with our son, Carson and his girlfriend Cortney, in Munich. Carson and Cortney have been backpacking Europe this summer and just as planned almost 2 years ago met up with us in Munich on September 25, 2016. Hannibal from the A-Team said it best "I love it when a plan comes together!".
We were thrilled to check into our downtown apartment right across the street from the Hoffbraukeller Beer Garden. Talk about history as this was the beer hall where Hitler gave his first political speech. The beginning of a dark period. Well, this is a much happier story at the same place, at a different time with different players and thirsty players from Canada!
A few pics of our apartment and the picturesque street it was located. Again, we are grateful for Airbnb and for Katherine, the owner for renting us her amazing home and residence. This was such a luxury!
The worlds largest festival did not disappoint and delivered so many great times and memories. This was the hi-light of our trip as we met up with our son, Carson and his girlfriend Cortney, in Munich. Carson and Cortney have been backpacking Europe this summer and just as planned almost 2 years ago met up with us in Munich on September 25, 2016. Hannibal from the A-Team said it best "I love it when a plan comes together!".
We were thrilled to check into our downtown apartment right across the street from the Hoffbraukeller Beer Garden. Talk about history as this was the beer hall where Hitler gave his first political speech. The beginning of a dark period. Well, this is a much happier story at the same place, at a different time with different players and thirsty players from Canada!
A few pics of our apartment and the picturesque street it was located. Again, we are grateful for Airbnb and for Katherine, the owner for renting us her amazing home and residence. This was such a luxury!
Pretty girly for sure but did I mention there was a beer garden across the street??? Oh yeah, and we spent a bit of time there and a few euros. It was the perfect setting and something that is very hard to explain but I will give it a try. Firstly, the beer was the best any of us have ever had. Made in the building right next to the beer garden and subject to strict government controls and only 4 ingredients can be used... That's it, 4 ingredients and none of them are colouring, artificial flavours, etc. Ready for the 4 ingredients? Water, malted barley, hops and yeast. That's it! From those ingredients they have developed some very different beers and every brewery has their own secret recipes. Fortunate for us, our favorite beer was made across the street from our apartment. The beer garden is built over top of the underground cellar where the beer is stored, covered with gravel and then Chestnut trees are planted to keep the ground temerature cool. We were taken aback when we first saw this setting with hundreds of tables, bench seating, a playground for kids and outdoor restaurants for brats, beer, pretzels, potato salad, pork knuckles, roasted chickens and the list goes on. One thing that shocked us more than anything was the sporadic "CRASH", "BANG" and "SCREAM!" as peaople dodged falling chestnuts at very high speeds hitting the plywood table tops. Holy crap! This was an extreme sport! We loved it! Beer drinking with an edge!
It's all about the beer, 'bout the beer...
It's all about the beer, 'bout the beer...
A couple more facts regarding this local German Beer Garden is that they do not advertise these neighborhood establishement to the tourists. Mostly locals here, which makes for some interesting translating challenges but well worth it. For those who do not want to indulge on the standard beer garden grub then any table that does not have a tablecloth, you can set up your own meal from home or the deli, grocery store, bakery and butcher shop around the corner. As Cortney said "you know there really is no excuse not to go for a beer here" and she was right as you can even bring the kids! There is no music and you cannot even hear a vehicle as the garden is positioned in the center of 3 buildings and the city's largest park and green space at the back where you find the large children's playground. This is a community and family environment. It was difficult to get any photos that show the area due to all the trees but here are a couple, I hope you get a bit of an idea of the relaxed atmosphere this space provided while you have a beer or two with loved ones. Pretty cool. Just put a coaster over your 1 litre beer stein, if a chestnut hit your open beer you would be soaked!
So we actually made it down to the Oktoberfest grounds as well... Oh yeah we did! So much fun and I won't even try explaining this experience so we will have to let a whole bunch of pictures tell the story. Enjoy!
Oktoberfest is the celebration of German beer and they celebrate very well. The environment is electric and there is every type of environment for every type of person. We made an attempt to cover as much ground as we could while sampling the celebrated beverage along the way. We did start briskly with a bounce in our steps which eventually slowed to a pace where we could truly appreciate the German's craft of beer, food, celebration and their pride of heritage. They wear their traditional clothes as costumes but they wear them with honour and a deep respect for their culture.
We spent some time walking around the city and I took every opportunity to shoot photos, this city gave me lots of surprising imagery. I think I was most surprised when I was walking in one of the parks and walked up to a river bank lined with surfers... For real!
Check it out, surfing on a river, downtown Munich.
We spent some time walking around the city and I took every opportunity to shoot photos, this city gave me lots of surprising imagery. I think I was most surprised when I was walking in one of the parks and walked up to a river bank lined with surfers... For real!
Check it out, surfing on a river, downtown Munich.
Coming soon to your neighborhood river!
Very cool!
My buddy Shane L. is thinking... I can just see him now!
A couple more shots around this historic city.
Very cool!
My buddy Shane L. is thinking... I can just see him now!
A couple more shots around this historic city.
Another great trip for the memories and the history blogs.
Thanks for following our travels, it is a very fun hobby, both the travel as well as sharing a piece of our experiences.
So "PROST!" (cheers) to travelling
Thanks for following our travels, it is a very fun hobby, both the travel as well as sharing a piece of our experiences.
So "PROST!" (cheers) to travelling