One Piss-up and you find you are a week behind on the blogs.
18th September
Innsbruck was a real item of interest to me, it has quite a bit of fame as a tourist and ski attraction and was chosen well beforehand, as out way north out of Italy for us.
We had the usual broken train trips out of italy, three changes of transport from Cortina to Brenner (the alpine pass), until we got to Austria, where they have it together at last.
The Euro train was very comfortable and the scenery... well, imagine crossing over even the lowest point in the Alps, then coming gradually down again out of the mountains winding through the river valley, across and back as the river grew wider and faster. Huge bridges, cliffs and gorges, long tunnels.
Innsbruck was itself a surprise, there was no snow about and the place is incredibly green. The Autumn is settling in late, with just a hint of yellow in the leaves. We spend a very quiet hour in the park across from the hotel, just absorbing the sunshine and the ambience.
On the way back we watched a guy do catch and release of what must have been a 1 kilo rainbow trout on a lure in the Inn River, which runs right through the centre of the city. (I got photo evidence)
Innsbrucks claim to fame, apart from its location and legend is the Winter Olympics, so everything on the tourism side of things bangs on about the Olympics this, the Olympics that.
So we had a sleep in a nice hotel, our first Austrian breakfast and musical chairs on the one train with our unallocated seats and then....Munich.
19th September 2010
The Oktoberfest.
There's so many things to remember, I cant write them all.
Sheryl and I did a recky at the Wiesn after settling in at the Hotel. I wanted to see what was involved in booking a table.
Free entry!
It turns out after we got there, we couldn't book anyway, we were too late and too small a party. Sheryl sweet talked a few nice American people who had booked a table into letting us join them, and after a time we were joining in the singing and carry on.
What did I say?
The Spaten tent put on a good show, and we ate and drank plenty, but did not overstay our welcome.
The Festival is like a massive piss-up with a visit to Disneyland thrown in, the Sideshow is a full third of the area set aside for the festival.
We sidled back to the hotel to meet Pete & Erica, they were late because of logistics.
20th Oktober?
We hit the festival proper, a big breakfast, trains, subways, massive crowd, heaps of people turned out in traditional costume, quite a bit of cleavage to keep the interest up, and we are there.
Hit the HUGE Hofbrau tent at 11 am, some people have already started. We get a seat till 3pm, after that, no reservation,
you're out.
The steins start coming out for us, and by 12:30, I am hungry and the band starts playing bursts of drinking music.
Sheryl and Erica, who dont drink beer are doing the 'when in Rome' thing. What troopers.
I demolish half a chook barbequed in butter. There are people standing up on the benches, skulling steins to the roars of the crowd.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhoWn6vZksk
Germans can make beer, I mean, it really stands on its own. Its clean, just the right amount of sugar, and bitterness from the hops, holds a head, still holds big bubbles after 15 minutes, but is not at all gassy in your stomach. Superb.
We are a little worried, as a group of Aussies behind us look like they're doing lines of coke. As it turns out, it's caffeine powder, and available in the stalls.
This is one seriously good party, and it just keeps going. 6000 people in a tent (just our tent , there are eleven more), all laughing and singing. And no agro... none.
After 3pm, security heards us interlopers all outside the tent, but we can take a bench and keep going. The sun and clear sky is making it about 21 degrees, I have my hat, sunnies, extraordinarily good brew, some really good old friends, some new friends, and at this moment life is really good.
But the creme' is yet to come. We left the tables, not sure why...
Pete has decided he wants to go for a ride.
The experience of this ride can't be described in words or a photo, so I captured it on the iphone.
When I sort the video out I will post it on youtube and link it here:
You can tell I was drunk and quite excited. But hey, I am a kid at heart.
And if you are wondering, no, no regurgitation afterwards. In fact I polished off two german pretzel dogs. With Mustard, before we left the fest.
Nathan from my work banged on at me about going to the Augustiner Keller, which is not far from the central train station, and worth a visit if you are ever nearby.
Nathan, I ordered the Helles, and it was, as you said it would be, a particularly special beer. It went down superbly with a great meal in the cellar 2 stories below the street. A fine way to finish off a big day. Thanks Nath.
21st September
This day was pretty fuzzy.
18th September
Innsbruck was a real item of interest to me, it has quite a bit of fame as a tourist and ski attraction and was chosen well beforehand, as out way north out of Italy for us.
We had the usual broken train trips out of italy, three changes of transport from Cortina to Brenner (the alpine pass), until we got to Austria, where they have it together at last.
The Euro train was very comfortable and the scenery... well, imagine crossing over even the lowest point in the Alps, then coming gradually down again out of the mountains winding through the river valley, across and back as the river grew wider and faster. Huge bridges, cliffs and gorges, long tunnels.
Innsbruck was itself a surprise, there was no snow about and the place is incredibly green. The Autumn is settling in late, with just a hint of yellow in the leaves. We spend a very quiet hour in the park across from the hotel, just absorbing the sunshine and the ambience.
On the way back we watched a guy do catch and release of what must have been a 1 kilo rainbow trout on a lure in the Inn River, which runs right through the centre of the city. (I got photo evidence)
Innsbrucks claim to fame, apart from its location and legend is the Winter Olympics, so everything on the tourism side of things bangs on about the Olympics this, the Olympics that.
So we had a sleep in a nice hotel, our first Austrian breakfast and musical chairs on the one train with our unallocated seats and then....Munich.
19th September 2010
The Oktoberfest.
There's so many things to remember, I cant write them all.
Sheryl and I did a recky at the Wiesn after settling in at the Hotel. I wanted to see what was involved in booking a table.
Free entry!
It turns out after we got there, we couldn't book anyway, we were too late and too small a party. Sheryl sweet talked a few nice American people who had booked a table into letting us join them, and after a time we were joining in the singing and carry on.
What did I say?
The Spaten tent put on a good show, and we ate and drank plenty, but did not overstay our welcome.
The Festival is like a massive piss-up with a visit to Disneyland thrown in, the Sideshow is a full third of the area set aside for the festival.
We sidled back to the hotel to meet Pete & Erica, they were late because of logistics.
20th Oktober?
We hit the festival proper, a big breakfast, trains, subways, massive crowd, heaps of people turned out in traditional costume, quite a bit of cleavage to keep the interest up, and we are there.
Hit the HUGE Hofbrau tent at 11 am, some people have already started. We get a seat till 3pm, after that, no reservation,
you're out.
The steins start coming out for us, and by 12:30, I am hungry and the band starts playing bursts of drinking music.
Sheryl and Erica, who dont drink beer are doing the 'when in Rome' thing. What troopers.
I demolish half a chook barbequed in butter. There are people standing up on the benches, skulling steins to the roars of the crowd.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhoWn6vZksk
Germans can make beer, I mean, it really stands on its own. Its clean, just the right amount of sugar, and bitterness from the hops, holds a head, still holds big bubbles after 15 minutes, but is not at all gassy in your stomach. Superb.
We are a little worried, as a group of Aussies behind us look like they're doing lines of coke. As it turns out, it's caffeine powder, and available in the stalls.
This is one seriously good party, and it just keeps going. 6000 people in a tent (just our tent , there are eleven more), all laughing and singing. And no agro... none.
After 3pm, security heards us interlopers all outside the tent, but we can take a bench and keep going. The sun and clear sky is making it about 21 degrees, I have my hat, sunnies, extraordinarily good brew, some really good old friends, some new friends, and at this moment life is really good.
But the creme' is yet to come. We left the tables, not sure why...
Pete has decided he wants to go for a ride.
The experience of this ride can't be described in words or a photo, so I captured it on the iphone.
When I sort the video out I will post it on youtube and link it here:
You can tell I was drunk and quite excited. But hey, I am a kid at heart.
And if you are wondering, no, no regurgitation afterwards. In fact I polished off two german pretzel dogs. With Mustard, before we left the fest.
Nathan from my work banged on at me about going to the Augustiner Keller, which is not far from the central train station, and worth a visit if you are ever nearby.
Nathan, I ordered the Helles, and it was, as you said it would be, a particularly special beer. It went down superbly with a great meal in the cellar 2 stories below the street. A fine way to finish off a big day. Thanks Nath.
21st September
This day was pretty fuzzy.
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