WE SURVIVED! Actually we more than survived, we thrived at what I can only call the best weekend yet... which didn't even feel like a weekend, but one gigantic marathon of a day with limited naps in between. AND I really do remember it and always will.
Buckle your seat belts, you're in for all the details on this one:
Thursday October 3rd:
Had heard through the grape vine that camping at Oktoberfest is like trying to have a pool party in the Antarctic, so obviously I needed to go shopping. I went to Via del Corso on Thursday afternoon and set out for H&M. Made some great purchases: long sleeve tee, scarf, socks, beanie, sweatpants and made a point of telling the cashier "Vado a Oktoberfest sta sera!!" which I am pretty sure she wasn't all that interested in. Oh well.
Came back to my apartment, gathered up the roommates and headed for the meet up point at Termini Station. Somehow lost my beloved Britta water bottle in the process...very bitter about it.
Got to Termini.
Checked in and headed for the double decker charter bus that I would be spending the next 12 hours on. Yup, 12.
Luckily for me, I can sleep just about anywhere at about any time of day. (I actually fell asleep in my class for 45 minutes the other day, sitting straight up watching "Babette's Feast" = nap time). As soon as I settled in to the VERY last row of the bus and got comfortable, the girls next to me decided it would be a great idea to paint all of their nails ON THE BUS. Really? At 8pm? On a bus of 80+ people you're going to break out that stinky stuff. Grr.
Knocked out within no time and actually had a dream that I was on a family road trip to Tahoe. Maybe the 12 hour thing had me confused, but this dream was SO REAL that it took me a solid 5 minutes to figure out where I was and what I was doing when I woke up. Too good.
Stopped at the rest stop around 1am, got back on the bus and when I woke up the second time we were pulling into Munich.
Friday, October 4th:
Couldn't help but compare Munich to Solvang when we first got there. Everything was very clean, and very Bavarian looking. The streets, unlike Italy, actually had lane lines! The trees were beautiful, BUT it was definitely stormy. We have been so lucky with the weather here in Rome; on Thursday I was wearing just my sundress and was still sweating. I knew we were in for a bit of a weather shock coming there.
Pulled up to Campingplatz Munchen Obermenzing (our campsite) and were immediately assigned our 2 person pup tents and given the schpeal about the whole camping experience. The campsite is run by a bunch of crazy Aussies who told us one rule: "No puking, pissing or shitting in the tents. That's it."
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| this is their logo, no joke. |
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| And this is our teeeeny tiny tent. Sleeping bags on top of pool rafts, no joke. |
Rumor has it that there were over 2000 tents and 1500 American college students alone. After throwing our stuff into our tents, we went to get our 20 Euro unlimited beer and sangria wristbands and Prost-ed to the first beer of Oktoberfest. At 9am.
Afterwards, we had to take a bus to a train to get to Central Station Munich to meet up with my roommates at their hostel. Once we found them, the quest for a dirndl began.
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| Thank goodness for my raincoat |
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| First Pretzel |
Munich was a really cool city mostly because it was so different from what we had all been used to for the last month and a half. AND THEY HAD STARBUCKS. I have never been happier to get a chai tea latte in my whole life. Finally we made way into a little store off the main drag that had discounted dirndls. The saleswoman was super sweet and just by looking at Emmy and I could tell us what size we were and what color we should get.
Here's us in the store with our dirndls on:
The one I actually have on in this picture was 120 Euros. I laughed when she said it at the register, put it back and asked for the same color for less money. They had one for 50. Much better.
Made it back to the hostel and put the dirndls in my roommates rooms, mooched off the free wifi, then were on our way to the Festival.
Oktoberfest is like a combination of Disneyland and the Del Mar Fair + Rain and Beer. Lots of Beer.
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| First sip from the first Stein! |
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| Apparently this was a really good cheese pretzel |
THE FOOD THOUGH. Not only were the pretzels out of this world, but we also pigged out on AMAZING Mac&Cheese and what we were calling cinnamon Almonds. Too. Good.
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| And some VERY good looking Germans we met :) |
By late afternoon, we made it back to the campsite and I met up with PORTER!
I was 100% accurate with my reaction to seeing my friends.
We cuddled. We girl talked. And then we drank some more beers.
The campsite was an absolute blast and a non-stop party.
Saturday, October 5th:
Porter and I woke up early Saturday morning to try and get to the Haufbrau tent EARLY early. Like in line by 8 which means leaving the campsite at 6.
But, FIRST, I had to hunt down my dang dirndl! I had left it at my roommates hostel under the assumption that they would be there in the morning. Wrong.
Both Venesha and Emmy had left the hostel and I had no way of getting my 50 Euro dirndl that I bought specifically to wear all day on Saturday. So I thought. I powered on my nearly dead iPhone and saw a facebook message from my roommate saying that she left my dirndl in a bag with my name on it at the front desk. So smart.
Frantically changed into my dirndl in the hostel bathroom and we were on our way. Got in, got in line with the 5,000 other people in line and just BY CHANCE
OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE
SAW
VINI.
I screamed her name so loud and practically jumped on top of people to get to her. We hugged, we cried, we laughed and we made way into the tent together. 3 friends from all over (Rome, Paris, Prague) literally reunited halfway around the globe. Pretty dang awesome.
We stampeded like cattle into the Haufbrau tent. Stumbled upon my roommate Danielle from Rome and got settled into the crowd of... ~not exaggerating~ 5,000 people. Insane.
Then all of these selfies happened:
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| My personal favorites |
THEN
WE FOUND DANIELA
I also texted my best friend in Montana to let her know that the turquoise ring she gave me made it all the way to Germany. :)
And then I called my mom, and my little, and texted my sister. Then my phone died. Shucks.
Saturday afternoon, Porter and I went back early again and took a nap when the campsite was actually quiet for once. Rage. Sleep. Rally. Repeat.
Woke up again in time for our free BBQ, met some Aussies, then actually went back to sleep. Again.
Sunday October 6:
Our bus was headed back to Rome by 12:30 so I stuck around the campsite in the morning. Missed the free tour to Dauchau which really was a bummer because it would have been quite the experience to see. Regardless, we had time to clean up our stuff, collect ourselves, and... you guessed it... drink the last bit of beer we possibly could.
12 hours later we were back in Rome and I was all too excited to shower and sleep in a real bed.
All in all, I would say that Oktoberfest was an absolute success. Prost to that.
Devotissimo Suo,
M
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