Matt took advantage of the luxury accommodations on the flight from Chicago to Dusseldorf...
exhibit A:
After a short hop from Dusseldorf to Munich, we had finally made it. For the first day, we decided that we would take a relaxing stroll around Oktoberfest. As usual, our timing was impeccable and we found ourselves participating in the 200th annual celebration of the festival...unbelievable! We tried to take a few pictures inside the different tents, but it was difficult to capture the essence of the craziness that is Oktoberfest!
So far, Oktoberfest seems a lot like a state fair back in the US (lots of rides and fair games), but the traditional "fair foods" (fried everything) is replaced with traditional German cuisine (any kind of sausage or strudel you can imagine). Oh yes, and of course there is the beer (BIER)! Matt and I had liters of beer at the Augustiner tent first, as well as Kim's favorite...PRETZELS...as big as your head!
After battling the crowds for a while longer, we decided to head back to the hotel for a short nap before dinner. Speaking of the hotel, it's no frills, but at least it is clean! Plus, the location is unbeatable - right across from the train station and a short walk to the Oktoberfest grounds. For dinner on this first night, we opted to continue our immersion into German culture with a traditional German meal at Ratskeller, which is located in the famous Marienplatz (also a short walk from our hotel). Amazingly, there were several vegetarian options for Kim (and more beer for Matt)!
Now we are back at the hotel, ready for some much needed sleep! Tomorrow looks to be a big day filled with sightseeing in Munich (and probably some more beer and pretzels). We'll check in tomorrow with more pictures and updates! Gute Nacht!
Much love, Matt and Kim
