T̶w̶o̶ One p̶e̶r̶p̶e̶t̶u̶a̶l̶ ̶e̶x̶p̶a̶t̶s̶ immigrant settling into home country number five.
Julie 
This blog has been getting an amusingly high number of hits this week from people googling phrases such as “where to pee Oktoberfest” (second only to those searching for “Oktoberfest sex”). Don’t let your fear of inadequate toilets keep you away, folks: there are plenty of places to pee at Oktoberfest.
Soon after acquiring my dirndl, I was taught the rules for tying the apron. The strings are long, and usually you wrap them all the way around your waist and then tie them in a bow in the front. But not just anywhere in the front. No, no, no, this is important stuff, so listen … Read more
The last time I was in Hamburg was over ten years ago, and I was happy to have an excuse to return last weekend for the Whiny Expat Blogger Meet-Up (or NAMBLA). Scott and I went a little early so we could have some time exploring the city on our own, too.
If there’s one thing you don’t see very often at Oktoberfest, it’s a vegetable.
Navigating the menu at an Oktoberfest tent is not always easy for vegetarians. In here, a plate of sliced-up sausage qualifies as a salad. But even at those tents named after the animal they are best at cooking, one can find at least a couple of meatless dishes. Bavarian vegetarian food is heavy, creamy, cheesy, and infinitely starchy: actually, not such bad attributes for a meal that’s accompanying many liters of beer. Now that you’ve found a seat in one of the tents, here are some of the vegetarian dishes you are most likely to find on the menu:
Edited to add: Tickets are now sold out for this event. If you’re planning to attend Oktoberfest without reservations, I recommend parking yourself at an unreserved table by three or four in the afternoon at the latest if you want to spend the evening drinking (that’s on weekdays; on weekends, fuggedaboutit). Also, check out my tips for first-time Oktoberfest visitors.
I hear that there are still a few tickets available for the Democrats Abroad tables at Oktoberfest this year. Whether you’re local or coming in from out of town, this is sure to be a great opportunity to party at Oktoberfest with a fun group of people. We went to DA’s Oktoberfest tables last year, and it was a blast.
If you plan to try to spend time in the tents on a weekend, I highly recommend securing a reservation of some sort. I’m guessing there aren’t too many other opportunities still floating around out there at this late date.
When? Sunday, October 3rd, 2010
Where? Schottelhamel Tent, Oktoberfest, Munich (I haven’t been to this tent yet, so can’t comment on it.)
How do I sign up? You can purchase tickets online. [Link removed since tickets are sold out.]
More info from Democrats Abroad:
Our last trip to New York City was a whirlwind of friends, family, and food, topped off with a little bit of art and some volcano drama. Here were some of the culinary highlights from this time around (if you don’t feel like reading the whole post, scroll to the bottom for the best restaurant of the trip).
We arrived in New York exhausted and much later than scheduled, but dammit we weren’t going to miss a single NYC meal opportunity.
This blog seems to be on summer vacation along with the rest of Europe. I still have some old trips to tell you about, and I have a pile of Ask the Expat questions to get to (most about Oktoberfest), but as far as stuff going on right now I got nothin’. I’ve slept in my own bed for two whole months straight – can you imagine? I prefer to do my traveling in the shoulder seasons or off season, when prices are lower, crowds are smaller, and the sun isn’t so brutal.
So where were we? Oh yes: Merano, Italy. On our second day there, we asked at the hotel for a lunch suggestion. Lucky for us, the recommended place was closed, and we ended up improvising. We found Castel Fragsburg at the top of a windy road outside of Merano. The posted menu looked interesting, if a bit expensive, so we decided to give it a try. We were led through a large dining room out onto a terrace with a sweeping view of the valley below. Worth the price alone.
Before we can even order the chef starts sending us little ‘greetings from the kitchen’
Merano is a small spa town in an apple-tree-filled valley in South Tyrol, the part of Italy closest to Munich. It is also Italy’s German-speaking part, a fact that confuses me every time I go.
I’m searching for an outfit for Oktoberfest this coming September, and I was wondering if you could point me in the right direction. Should I even dress up? I don’t want to offend anyone. If it is cool to wear an outfit, where do you recommend I get one? Is it stupid for me to … Read more