FLORENCE, THE DAVID, & ME: Oktoberfest!

I jetted off to Munich, Germany last Thursday to partake in one of the greatest festivities known to man: Oktoberfest; otherwise known as a weekend filled with beer drinking, hearty eating, fun-loving Germans, and shenanigans galore. Let me start off by saying how much I LOVE Germany. From the moment I landed in Munich I knew there was something about this place that felt like home (being in a country filled with blondes helped a little in that department). Minus a few setbacks such as not being able to speak German, this weekend was absolutely amazing. Oktoberfest itself was one of the happiest places on earth, and the fact that everyone from age five to ninety five donned a dirndl or lederhosen for the occasion made it even greater.

Once I arrived in Munich I was reunited with four of my girlfriends from DU who I had been planning to take on Oktoberfest with for quite some time. I hadn't seen most of them since we left Denver this past June, so I was BEYOND excited to see them and catch up for a weekend while we're all living in different cities across Europe. We stayed at Hotel Rheingoldhof, an adorable bed and breakfast in Neubiberg, a quiet suburb about a thirty minute train ride away from the central station in Munich.

We woke up early Friday morning ready for the festivities to commence; and after indulging in some delicious free breakfast at our hotel and headed off to Oktoberfest bright and early at around 7 am. We waited in line at our first chosen "tent" for about an hour before we were let inside the massive beer hall. Because the weekends get insanely crowded, Friday was a great day to just hangout and explore the the grounds at Oktoberfest. We mainly stayed in the Augustiner-Brau tent that day, so on Saturday we set up camp at another well known beer hall, Hofbrau Festzelt. When the beer maidens came around we ordered liter steins of beer, half chickens (wies'n hendl), and Käse Spätzle which is a really yummy macaroni and cheese dish with small fried onion rings on top. I think it's pretty safe to say that we ate and drank our way through the weekend.

I can't even explain how much fun we had. We got to meet and talk to so many people from around the world, many of whom were some of the most hilarious people I've ever met. I really hope that I get the opportunity to return to Munich and experience Oktoberfest again at some point because I absolutely loved everything about it; the atmosphere, the people, the food, the beer, the drinking songs, the list goes on and on. So cheers to another great abroad experience, or as they say in Germany, prost!