365 days of Germany: Oktoberfest: Better than Christmas

The last few weeks have been more than exciting. Seeing new sites and seeing new places, beautiful places.

To start off: Spent a weekend in France, well technically not France, but I could drive a VERY short distance to the border: Strasbourg, France. It was so weird to me, its like us traveling to another state, but this time i was just crossing the border to another COUNTRY. I was asking so many questions, do i need to take my passport out, will they check our car (going off of traveling into Canada), my friend i was with just laughed. I think he thinks I'm a stupid american. We spent the day in Strasbourg, then traveled a whole 10mins to where we would stay for the night: the families 'hunting house. The house we slept in was so peaceful, not technically the real hunting house.

Pause: We met the grandparents at the house, Apo and Mimi. Apo is my favorite person ever, not just because whenever i walk into the house he asks me: "something to drink! White wine, red wine, champagne?" But because he has a story for everything, so interesting to listen to and has a big heart. He always makes sure that this feels like home for me. They both are just so amazing.

Resume: We met them later that night and spent the rest of the night into the early morning drinking, eating and talking outside. It was so relaxing, not a care in the world, just the nice warm night and a sky filled with stars (sounds soo cheesy, but really it was perfect). We all got a little toasted, but we also all had a lot of laughs. The next day we went to the real hunting house. Took there old mercedes jeep (something that reminded me of something i saw in Disney Jurassic Park) and travelled deep into the woods to a little cottage, it was perfect, just like i would imagine a hunting house to be. We spent a beautiful day walking around their 200+ acres of hunting territory. I did not want this weekend to end, I don't think any of us did.

I only talk about weekend, just because weeks are all over the place; doing different things or just more because i rarely travel during the week because obviously the girls are in school and i need to be here with them.

Oktoberfest:
Wasen (Stuttgart):
Traveled with the girls, Mimi and Apo to Stuttgart for a sunny day at the fair, with beers and good food. I guess I always just thought of Oktoberfest is a beer drinking fair; obviously more to do, but not as much as there was. We spent half the day in a tent having delicious chicken and beer. Then Pia and i took off to go on some rides. I really enjoy roller coasters so when Pia said she wanted to going on the "Muse" a kids roller coaster i was all for it, a little excitement. Well, i wouldn't say excitement- i was terrified. This tiny little cart they put us in, i felt like i was going to fall right off the edge. Pia was really scared, so i had to put on a breave face, but i honestly thought i was going to pee my pants. The other rides were just spinning.. a lot... beer and chicken that had not had time to settle was not helping. Pia had fun, thats all that matters.

Wesen (Munich):
Words can not describe. Something i recommend everyone to experience once in their life. I arrived in Munich Friday afternoon to be greeted by Charlotte; someone i had not seen in over 2 years. Friday night we spent drinking wine and catching up on each others lives, getting ready to wake up early to go to the Wesen. Each tent at Oktoberfest has it's own little meaning (most do); Hofbrau is usually where the tourists go, then you have an older persons tent, a wine tent, and then the most popular are Schottenhamel and Hacker. Of course i was in Hacker ;) We got in line at 7, got into the tent and at a bench at 9 and was served my first beer a little after 930. Prosts! (Cheers!) The tent was so pretty, huge! (see picture)! So from 9am to 11pm i was dancing, drinking and singing: a grand ol' time and ill do it again. Worth every minute, the hangover, the money and the weight i gained.

I will go back without a doubt.