Sunday, 18 September, 2022 – Very early Kansas City time, Elias texted to say, “Didn’t see really any of cologne. We had to do laundry and just ate dinner since we got in sort of late. Today we’re doing Oktoberfest and recovering tomorrow.”
As I sit here writing, it is the wee hours of Monday morning for Elias. I hope he is indeed recovering, without too much misery.
I looked up the address where their deluxe apartment is: georg-hallmaier-straße 7 münchen. Google has not taken a picture since 2008, it seems; the picture I am linking to is not very illuminating. Sorry.
Having never experienced an Oktoberfest festival or celebration, I was not sure what the big deal was. Beer drinking, right? I like beer, but why would it be more special from September 17th to October 3rd? I also thought Oktoberfest was during the month of October. I figured Elias was mistaken when he said they were going to Munich for Oktoberfest in September.
Silly, silly me.
Turns out, Oktoberfest is kind of like the State Fair. It’s huge and something people look forward to all year and draws folks from all over the place. I admit, the last time I was at the State Fair, I was too young to drink alcohol and I was in Mississippi. So, maybe not at all like Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany.
Here’s a few links to Oktoberfest information:
- The Official Site of Oktoberfest
- Tourism site page about Oktoberfest (I am including this link because David has mentioned more than once how amazed he was at the “barmaids” who could hold several pounds worth of beer steins in their hands. There’s a picture of one of those women, just to prove his story.)
- USA Today article about Oktoberfest 2022
- NPR article about Oktoberfest being cancelled in 2020 (It says people drank more than 1.9 million gallons of beer during the 2019 event!)
After looking at the websites, maybe there’s more in common with the Mississippi State Fair than you might expect. There are carnival rides and games to play for crappy prizes. There’s overpriced greasy, fried food. There’s lines for the porta potties and no parking, if you were stupid enough to drive. From the sound of it, there’s lots of people overindulging. I don’t remember anyone overindulging in anything besides those funnel cakes but maybe I was oblivious at 8 years old?
I expect the beer was good. I know the company was good. And it is only once that you are 22 in Germany for Oktoberfest with your friends.
I just hope the hangover wasn’t too bad.