_full.jpeg){kind=logo}
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Munich, Germany for the weekend
This past weekend I caved in and took a trip with the gang to Munich Germany for many things, but most importantly Oktoberfest. Little did we know it was actually the 200th year of the festival, but unlike the 1920's we got to have a great time instead of burning a hyper-inflated German Mark to stay warm at night. Life is great in the 21st century isn't it?
Anyway, the first two days of the weekend we went to the Oktoberfest Tents and the last day we went to the BMW Museum (I know what you're thinking. Two + one = three...Three day weekend!??! Yes, that is the norm on study abroad. I have three day weekends EVERY WEEKEND! Now let me bask in your jealousy for a few moments). On both festival days we went to the Hofbrauhaus tent and it was nothing short of an experience. They started serving food and their Bavarian beer at 9am and the tents closed at around 10-11pm. I didn't have the steel reserve (lack common sense?) to stay till close. The waitresses with their well-endowed upper bodies would carry 12 Steins at once! Each Stein was a liter and it was awesome watching them move through the crowd, hardly spilling a drop. The lady in my picture was ONLY carrying 10...BOO! Also, every 15 minutes or so the entire crowd (prompted by the band) would break out in a toast called Ein Prosit. I couldn't understand what they were saying, but I happily partook.
Finally, the last thing to point out about the festival is the security. They were terrifying. In Germany, there is no such thing as equal rights in the workforce (or at least not ostensibly so). There were absolutely no women whatsoever working as security. They were all over-sized men wearing gloves that were "oddly" shaped around the knuckles. I wasn't even in World War II and I was having flashbacks of Stormtroopers marching through ghettos. If they said to do something, I did it. I mean their grandparents committed the holocaust, how could you possibly have an argument with someone from that kind of lineage. (Please note: some people DID argue with the security and it was fantastic entertainment. We were near the door on the second day and had the pleasure of watching a kid who was too drunk get picked up and thrown out of the tent...by the neck.)
The final day in Munich we went to the BMW Museum!! Hooray! The cool thing about the museum was that in one of their showrooms of their newer models we heard this tremendous roar and sure enough we see a guy driving a dirt bike THROUGH THE MUSEUM. BMW organizes a kind of impromptu show where they push the crowd to the sides of the main walk and a guy drives up and down the stairs of the museum ramping, and speeding all over creation. It was a surprising ending to what was a very cool museum.
P.S. did you know that Germans love The White Stripes- Seven Nation Army and Hey Baby. Who'd a thunk it?
Anyway, the first two days of the weekend we went to the Oktoberfest Tents and the last day we went to the BMW Museum (I know what you're thinking. Two + one = three...Three day weekend!??! Yes, that is the norm on study abroad. I have three day weekends EVERY WEEKEND! Now let me bask in your jealousy for a few moments). On both festival days we went to the Hofbrauhaus tent and it was nothing short of an experience. They started serving food and their Bavarian beer at 9am and the tents closed at around 10-11pm. I didn't have the steel reserve (lack common sense?) to stay till close. The waitresses with their well-endowed upper bodies would carry 12 Steins at once! Each Stein was a liter and it was awesome watching them move through the crowd, hardly spilling a drop. The lady in my picture was ONLY carrying 10...BOO! Also, every 15 minutes or so the entire crowd (prompted by the band) would break out in a toast called Ein Prosit. I couldn't understand what they were saying, but I happily partook.
Finally, the last thing to point out about the festival is the security. They were terrifying. In Germany, there is no such thing as equal rights in the workforce (or at least not ostensibly so). There were absolutely no women whatsoever working as security. They were all over-sized men wearing gloves that were "oddly" shaped around the knuckles. I wasn't even in World War II and I was having flashbacks of Stormtroopers marching through ghettos. If they said to do something, I did it. I mean their grandparents committed the holocaust, how could you possibly have an argument with someone from that kind of lineage. (Please note: some people DID argue with the security and it was fantastic entertainment. We were near the door on the second day and had the pleasure of watching a kid who was too drunk get picked up and thrown out of the tent...by the neck.)
The final day in Munich we went to the BMW Museum!! Hooray! The cool thing about the museum was that in one of their showrooms of their newer models we heard this tremendous roar and sure enough we see a guy driving a dirt bike THROUGH THE MUSEUM. BMW organizes a kind of impromptu show where they push the crowd to the sides of the main walk and a guy drives up and down the stairs of the museum ramping, and speeding all over creation. It was a surprising ending to what was a very cool museum.
P.S. did you know that Germans love The White Stripes- Seven Nation Army and Hey Baby. Who'd a thunk it?
Orvieto Part 2!
Some things to note: The last photo is of a well inside the catacombs. I told the people on the tour that there might be a Cask of Amontillado at the bottom, but I don't think anyone got the joke...and judging by your silence I don't think any of my readers did either.(Or should I say reader, thanks Mom!) The picture of the underground corridor really was as small as it looks. I had to crouch pretty low to move comfortably. Also, the frescoes inside the church were amazing and it was even cooler that they let us take pictures because many churches have banned it since it washes away the color of the fresco if a flash is used.
Orvieto!!
For those of you who don't know Orvieto is a beautiful and small Italian town that sits on top of a volcanic plateau near the city of Viterbo, Italy. You might be thinking, well what's so great about a tiny Italian town? I'll tell you what's great, THE GELATO! It was by far the best confectionery delight to ever grace my palette. Fragola (Strawberry), Pesche (Peach), Banana (Banana) were by far the best flavors. Also, they have a great duomo just like Firenze and when we went in to visit we got to watch an Italian wedding! The wedding was odd because unlike in America everyone darts for the door when the priest pronounces them man and wife. Couldn't they have the common courtesy to let them walk out first. I mean I know the reception is awesome and all, but really!?!? Everyone doesn't need to advertise it to the world that the ceremony was boring. Anyway I digress.
The other cool thing about the town was the catacombs and its adorable inhabitants. (And when I say adorable inhabitants I really mean stray cats that roamed the park and let Alex play with them.) The catacombs were built by the Etruscans to help them ward off attackers back in the day. There are over 1000 caves that were dug and I saw two of them (WOO WOO). Unfortunately, Etruscans were kind of like the people who dug under buildings in Shanghai last year. I think they forgot that when you dig out all the ground below multi-ton buildings they typically collapse. Well because of this pesky "collapse and kill everyone walking below" problem, digging is no longer allowed at this time. Good call Orvieto.
Ok ok, enough reading for now. On to the pictures:
The other cool thing about the town was the catacombs and its adorable inhabitants. (And when I say adorable inhabitants I really mean stray cats that roamed the park and let Alex play with them.) The catacombs were built by the Etruscans to help them ward off attackers back in the day. There are over 1000 caves that were dug and I saw two of them (WOO WOO). Unfortunately, Etruscans were kind of like the people who dug under buildings in Shanghai last year. I think they forgot that when you dig out all the ground below multi-ton buildings they typically collapse. Well because of this pesky "collapse and kill everyone walking below" problem, digging is no longer allowed at this time. Good call Orvieto.
Ok ok, enough reading for now. On to the pictures:
Venezia con mi madre e amici!!
Venice was just as you would expect it. Full of dirty water and tourists. Just the way I like it! Anyway, my day trip there was great! Nothing particularly exciting happened there story wise so here are my pictures from the visit. The only thing that calls for comment is the glass factory. The guy that put on a show for Alex and I was awesome. He made us a flower vase, then a horse...YES a horse out of what was originally just a ball of molten glass. He used a long pipe as the holding piece and a pair of metal tweezers to shape the objects. After they are done being shaped they get put back in a cooler furnace to solidify before they are sold.
To my millions of readers,
I'm so sorry for not updating recently. Life has been very eventful and for those who have to live vicariously through me (*cough* Collyn *cough*) because their life isn't as interesting as mine I feel sorry for you.
So here you go! Enjoy!
(Just kidding Colly, I'm sure your life has its...umm...thrills?)
:)
So here you go! Enjoy!
(Just kidding Colly, I'm sure your life has its...umm...thrills?)
:)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)