From Innsbruck, Erin and I took a breathtaking bus ride to Munich for Oktoberfest. We stayed in Munich for literally 24 hours. We went to two beer tents, the Paulener and Augustiner. Typically starting around 4-5 p.m., you have to have a reservation in order to get into one of the 17 tents. We really wanted to go to the Augustiner tent since we heard it was one of the biggest and best. So, we went to four different entrances to the tent and were denied entry even though we said we had a reservation. Finally, on the fourth try, we got lucky and we were allowed in with our "reservation" that was "lost!" We sat down at a table that had a few open spots to sit and met some people and started drinking with them. There was awesome music and food and we had so much fun dancing, singing the drinking songs and talking to all the people we met from around the world! It never got too crazy or out of control which was unexpected but good. Everyone behaved themselves and seemed to know how to drink without becoming a mess. Otherwise you'd be thrown out anyways by security. We were there from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. When we got back to our place, we passed out and slept for 12 hours. All in all, I would say it was a success.
We also celebrated Oktober at the beer tents in Vienna and Linz. Linz was the more on the wilder/messier side, as there are more countryside type people who come into the city and drink into oblivion, especially the teenagers.
Erin got a dirndl so we both wore our dirndls in Linz and Hannes wore his lederhosen!
While we were in Salzburg, we met with Hannes for the day to help him take a hedgehog his mom found to a "Hedgehog Hotel." Before winter comes, Austrians who find hedgehogs in their gardens or wherever, typically take them to a Hedgehog Hotel until spring since many young ones do not survive the harsh weather. So we drove to a woman's house in the countryside who was keeping over 100 for the winter. Then when the weather warms up in the spring, you are supposed to go back, pick up the hedgehog, and return it to where you found him.
Bus ride from Innsbruck to Munich + Oktoberfest:
Wiesn (the name for the Oktoberfests that don't take place in Munich) in Linz and Vienna:
House of the lady's Hedgehog hotel:
On top of Gaisberg looking over Salzburg:
