The serious and the fun

I have been looking forward to Octoberfest for some time, not for the drinking, oh no, but for the fact that I get to wear the beer-wench outfit.
After leaving Prague, we made a brief stop off at Dachau concentration camp. 30,000 Jews and political

prisoners were killed there. They had a the gas chambers but they were never used. Most of the prisoners there died from hangings or from poor living conditions. If someone was found to have scabies the treatment was to strip them down to their underwear and have them stand in the cold and to keep them confined in one room with other affected people. They were basically left to starve.
It was not as big as Mathausen, where I had been two years ago and the atmosphere was less oppressive. I am not sure why. Maybe it was that I had been to one before and was more able to comprehend it, or maybe it was just different. There was lots of different churches built on the site as well to all the different religious groups who had suffered. From what I understand, in Dachau and the surrounding areas, Jews were pretty much wiped out.

After a wee bit of quiet reflection we arrived into Munich to set up camp. The campsite was so busy. I have never seen so many tents backed in so closely. I spent the first night getting some washing done so that tomorrow I could enjoy the day without worrying about clean clothing.
However, the next morning it was all on. First step, get dressed. I wore my durndel and plaited my hair in pig tails. I was so excited. Next step, head into Munich for a bike ride around the city. I hadn't been on a bike in  at least a year and a half but after a few practice wobbles I was off.
We went around the city first then biked into the park where we stopped for a bit of early lunch and for some, an early stein. We jumped back on the bikes and headed out to the Nudists meadow where two of our group bared all, almost all, and frolicked in the field. We then got the bike tour guide to strip down and ride his bike around. I was tempted to do the same but couldn't quite bring myself to do it. Oh well. There is always next time.
From the bike ride we jumped back on the coach and we were finally off to Octoberfest. We were off to Octoberfest for the following hour and half when the driver got lost. A small group of us ended up having a tipple of schnapps from a hip flask. We are not actually supposed to drink on the bus but what they don't see they don't know.

Drinking a litre Radler (Shandy)

We eventually got into the grounds. I always thought the festival was just a bunch of beer tents but it is so much more. There is a full carnival too with street food, touristy stuff and a rides AND a lot of beer halls.
We headed into the HB hall and it was PACKED. We managed to find a seated spot after some serious scouring but were kicked off it at three when they cleaned that section. It was insane to watch them cleaning. Those men and women work fast and hard. They deserved every tip they get.
It was getting a bit stuffy inside so Marissa, Felicity and I went for a walk around the festival grounds before heading back. By the time we got back it was heaving with people. I have never been somewhere I have been pushed and shoved, having people touching me as I moved past, having people move past in all directions. You know in those movies where the actor is standing still and everyone is moving and the noise is loud, they are looking around everywhere, unable to focus - that was me. It was so bad that at one point I plastered my back up against the wall and looked at the ceiling and practised my calm, deep breathing, because all I wanted to do was cry uncontrollably, I was panicked. I had to get out of there. But I didn't leave. This is one of those things that I have to work on and so I stuck it out, moved back into the crowds, surrounded myself with Contikians and stayed for another hour before I had had enough.
Felicity and I headed back out and by then it was dark. We grabbed a german sausage in a bun and had a walk around the grounds before calling it quits and heading back to the campsite.

The next morning, some people with a tender heads, we were off again, leaving Germany to go to Switzerland. Before we crossed the border into Switzerland we stopped off in the wee country of Lichtenstein, fourth smallest country in the world. I have now been to three of the four (Vatican and Monaco).
We then stopped off at Lucerne on our way where we checked out the Swiss Army knives and chocolates. I am giving some serious thoughts to finding a position teaching at an international school in Switzerland. I really do like it there and it is very pretty.
It is even more pretty up in the Swiss Alps where we stayed for the next two days.