Bavaria 
Oktoberfest 2017

16th September

Bavaria 

Oktoberfest Day 1 - Parade & Fischer Vroni

Horses & first taste of the madness

Oktoberfest 2017


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Sendlinger Tor

I was awoken by the sound of bells, a quick peek out of the window revealed that our hotel was on the route of the Oktoberfest opening day parade for tent owners and breweries.

Paulaner...
 
 
Paulaner
spacer
 
Horse whisperer botherer...
 
Lowenbrau 1



Lowenbrau horsey regalia...

Lowenbrau 2



Lowenbrau float...
 
Lowenbrau 3



Shaggy legs...
 
Lowenbrau 4



Bands & marchers...
 
Parade 1



Top flags...
 
Parade 2





Parade 3
Leading the Napoleonic era style parade...


Parade 4

Pschorr horses...


Parade 5
Some marchers were more flamboyant than others...


Parade 6
 Nothing flamboyant about the oxen hauling the huge beer barrel...


Oxen


Hofbräu brewery...

Hofbrau 1

... and their jaunty barrels ...


Hofbrau 2

Parade 8
Me, Rich, Jon, Vince & Paul in Lederhosen finery...


Group
Oktoberfest Princess...


Weisn Queen 1
Another Oktoberfest Princess...


Weisn Queen 2



Augustiner
 
 
We had no table reservations for the first Saturday, but found a promising outside spot at the Augustiner tent. However despite hat and umbrella purchases, it was a bit too wet & exposed and search parties departed looking for beery shelter ahead of the 12:00 noon opening canon salvo that would permit the first beers to be ordered...


Augustiner
Readying the chickens inside the Augustiner tent...


Chickens ready
 
Vince walking past the Ox roasting tent...


Ox roast
 
 
Lowenbrau Tent... the clues are there...
 
Lowenbrau tent




Fischer Vroni

Success (ish), a semi sheltered spot in the Fischer Vroni garden, with part of the party under cover of outside heaters and the 'have nots' open to the elements. We had to wait 45 minutes to join Richard after one of the other early occupants had an attention seeking cardiac arrest moment and we had to wait for the paramedics to get bored defibbing before we could get in.

Prost!   Nick, Jon, Rich C, Jim, Phil, Rich G, Vince, Paul & Andy...


Vroni 1

  
The table dancers were a bit niche, but Andy threw in his 5 Euro note anyway and demanded 'the works'...

 
Vroni 2


Eschewing the roast chicken and pike, I took on one of my 5-a-day...


Apple


Apple Fritters and cinnamon sugar...


Apple fritters 2


  
Alas, despite fried fruit fortification, my beer legs weren't a great deal better than they were the day before, so I again was the first to throw in the towel and head to the exit...


Exit

  
The beer GPS wasn't working so well on my return and I found myself eternally in Blumenstrasse until I ended up in a field of Angela Merkel posters; shortly afterwards my (useless) phone's battery ran out and I conceded defeat, so I flagged down the sort of €20, sub-5 minute, rip-off, taxi that preys on tipsy beer tourists...


Angela
 

Next - Day 3 - Schottenhamel & Paulaner tents


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Day 1 - Der Pschorr & Hofbräuhaus
Day 2 - Parade & Fischer Vroni Garden
Day 3 - Schottenhamel & Paulaner tents
Day 4 - Mike's Bikes